Bell TV first to offer HBO content online
Astral and Bell deliver a full slate of HBO programming Online for Bell TV subscribers at no
additional fee
TORONTO and MONTRÉAL, May 12 2010 --
announced that for the first time in class="xn-location">Canada, a full slate of HBO programming is now
available online through Bell TV Online. Available at no additional cost for Bell TV customers who subscribe
to The Movie Network, the service enables customers to watch movies, series and other premium
commercial-free content on their computers on-demand anywhere in Canada, wherever a high-speed
Internet connection is available.
Accessible through the Bell TV Online portal at www.bell.ca/tvonline under the TMN OnLine section, the
offering will include titles from HBO's acclaimed line-up of series, movies and specials, including The
Pacific, How to Make it in America, Big Love, Real Time with Bill Maher and Treme, as well as the highly
anticipated new seasons of True Blood, Hung and Entourage.
"TMN subscribers expect the innovative, multi-platform delivery of our unparalleled
entertainment offering, and we're thrilled to add a robust and steady stream of HBO
programming to our already-riveting content mix," said Domenic Vivolo, Senior Vice
President, Sales and Marketing, Astral Television Networks. "Now, our subscribers
can keep up with can't miss programming like The Pacific and the upcoming launch
of season three of True Blood through the Bell TV Online portal, anywhere in Canada
wherever a high-speed connection is available."
"Bell is excited to add popular HBO programming to Bell TV Online, the first online portal
in Canada that lets subscribers access commercial-free premium content at no cost
wherever they are in Canada," said Kevin Crull, President of Bell Residential Services.
"Since launching Bell TV Online this fall, we have seen excellent customer response to
the innovative service that adds great flexibility and added-value for our Bell TV subscribers."
The addition of HBO programming to Bell TV Online will increase the offering to approximately 300 hours of
content per week, with 25 per cent of the content refreshed weekly. TMN OnLine on Bell TV Online reflects
the weekly content offering of The Movie Network's current Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service
and will offer similar functionality enabling subscribers to rewind, play, pause and review title descriptions.
This summer, customers can expect another first-in-Canada feature, that will have new episodes of HBO's
hit series offered online on-demand immediately following the linear broadcast on HBO Canada.
TMN OnLine is part of the Bell TV Online portal, which delivers a compelling cross-platform entertainment
experience. In addition to programming from TMN, Family Channel and Playhouse Disney, Bell TV
customers can enjoy the added value of ordering Pay Per View content, access to NHL Game Centre Live
as well as to Bell's Remote PVR that enables customers to remotely set and manage their HD PVR
recordings. This unique portal delivers an unparalleled subscriber experience by extending the
entertainment experience from the traditional TV screen to the Internet, a key component of
Bells three-screen strategy that works to deliver entertainment content on TV, computer and mobile-phone
screens.
About Bell
Headquartered in Montréal, Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and
business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell
Internet, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite television, Bell Home Phone local and long distance phone
services, and IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell is proud to
be a Premier National Partner and the Exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell's products and services,
please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.
The Movie Network is a pay television service available in eastern Canada. With premiere access to
Hollywood hit movies, new and exclusive HBO content, critically-acclaimed Showtime series and first-rate
Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television
ntertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels - M, HBO
Canada, MExcess, MFun! and MFest - which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and
commercial-free television environment. The Movie Network also offers The Movie Network HD and HBO
Canada HD, two dedicated high-definition channels providing hundreds of titles in HD; The Movie Network
OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern
Canada; and, TMN OnLine an Internet-based content streaming service available to BellTV subscribers.
For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca.
The Movie Network is an Astral Media Television Network. Astral Media is a leading Canadian media
company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and iMedia. Astral Media's solid
and dynamic presence in the country's major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique
combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences.
For further information: Scott Campbell, Astral Television Networks, (416) 956-8648,
scampbell@tv.astral.com; Julie Smithers, Bell Media Relations, (416) 528-9409, julie.smithers@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell TV