Tiscali Sets Launch Date for TV Offering

LONDON, February 5: The broadband TV service Homechoice will
relaunch as Tiscali TV on March 1 following its August acquisition by telco
Tiscali.

Tiscali TV launches March 1 with more than 40,000
subscribers. Tiscali TV is currently available in London and Stevenage and will
be available in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Newcastle during April and May, and
in areas of Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool by mid-year. By the end of 2007,
Tiscali TV will be available to a footprint of more than 10 million British
homes. The roll out will continue through 2008 and the TV service will be
available to Tiscali’s entire unbundled local loop network by the end of 2008.

The Tiscali TV pack offers consumers 30-plus digital TV
channels—including all of the free digital channels from the BBC, Channel
4, Five and ITV—as well as a “Replay or Catch-up” service allowing
subscribers to watch over 50 hours of key BBC programs up to seven days after
they have been broadcast. Tiscali TV also provides access to a further 100
hours of on-demand programming including complete series of Dr. Who, Friends,
Sex and the City and Prime
Suspect. Tiscali TV is free to all
subscribers who sign up for Tiscali’s 2MB broadband package. Subscribers can
also access over 1,000 movies on demand to watch instantly with prices ranging
from £1.99 to £3.49 per movie.

Subscribers who access the Big Pack are granted an extra 25
channels and 1,000 hours of on-demand TV programs. They can also choose the
Music or Kids packs.

Tiscali’s bundled triple-play offer provides Internet
access, TV and telephone service for £19.99. This July, Tiscali will also roll
out an HD PVR.

Mary Turner, the chief executive of Tiscali U.K., noted:
“Tiscali TV will give our subscribers real value for money, choice and
flexibility—things that are core to our brand values. We believe there is
a real gap in the market for our TV product. The success of Freeview has shown
that customers want more than five channels but don’t necessarily want to pay a
high monthly subscription. Our TV service gives customers broadband plus the
channel choice they want and free on-demand programming, all for the price you
would pay for a standard broadband connection.”