BT Vision deal for UKTV
March 22, 2012
By Colin Mann
In the first linear channel deal for BT Vision, the IPTV service from BT, Britain’s leading branded multichannel broadcaster, UKTV, has agreed a three-year carriage deal covering both channel-branded VoD content which will be available immediately, and the network’s portfolio of linear, paid-for television channels, beginning with Watch, Gold and Alibi later this year.
UKTV’s VoD offering will be available to BT Vision customers on a subscription and transactional basis, and will include programming from UKTV’s Really, Eden, Dave and Home’s new and exclusive commissioned and acquired programme catalogue.
UKTV’s branded linear channels will then be streamed to BT Vision set-top boxes from late 2012. Initial channels on the platform will be Watch; Gold and Alibi. Further UKTV branded channels including Good Food, Eden and Home are earmarked for future development on the BT Vision service.
Darren Childs, CEO, UKTV – an independent joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive – said that UKTV programming would be available anytime and on demand, and suggested the deal was recognition of the breadth and appeal of UKTV’s portfolio to British television viewers.
Marc Watson, CEO, BT Vision, noted this was BT Vision’s first content deal which included linear TV and suggested “more exciting linear deals” were on the way.