Universal and Top Up TV Launch PictureBox in the U.K.

UNIVERSAL CITY, September
18: Universal Pictures and Top Up TV have announced PictureBox, a
subscription-on-demand service in the U.K.

The new PictureBox service
premieres this fall and will be available on Top Up TV’s new Anytime service.
It will provide a broad selection of current and library feature films,
including titles from NBC Universal.

PictureBox subscribers
will pay a monthly fee to view feature films that will be delivered and stored
in the Top Up TV Anytime digital TV recorder (DVR, also known as a PVR). Films
will be refreshed constantly, with a new title being uploaded daily, so
customers can watch from a choice of movies at any one time.

The PictureBox service
will initially launch with a total of seven feature films available at any
given time, and highlights will include: The Bourne Supremacy, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, The Scorpion King, The Interpreter, Shakespeare in Love and The Fast and the Furious, among others. PictureBox is wholly owned by
Universal Pictures.

Top TV launched its
Anytime service during the summer to boost the program offering available to
subscribers of the digital terrestrial television platform, Freeview.

“This deal underscores the
rapid growth and success of Freeview in the U.K.,” says Belinda Menendez, the
president of NBC Universal International Television Distribution. “PictureBox
is one of the first services of its kind for premier film content, providing
consumers with a rich mix of programming, on demand, at an attractive price
point.”

“We are excited to be
launching PictureBox on the Top Up TV Anytime service for U.K. viewers,” adds
Beth Minehart, the senior VP of international on-demand licensing for NBC Universal
International Television Distribution. “PictureBox is a fantastic example of
utilizing today’s technology to enable new business models, and we look forward
to exploring the expansion of this and other new distribution models in the
U.K. and beyond.”

“We are delighted
Universal have decided to support the Top Up TV Anytime service with a premium
movie subscription-on-demand service,” comments Ian West, the CEO of Top Up TV.
“It has been nearly five years since Freeview customers have been able to view
premium movies and we are delighted to be able to bring this option to
customers.”