Video Networks, the company behind the UK IPTV service, HomeChoice (note: until this year, the latter was one of only two pay-TV services in the UK to offer VOD), has signed an agreement with Eros Group-subsidiary, B on Demand EU, to launch a VOD offering targeting the UK's large population of South Asian immigrants and people of South Asian descent. The deal gives Eros--which has been in the business of distributing Bollywood films for over 20 years and which has been involved in HomeChoice's efforts to offer South Asian content since the service's launch around five years ago--responsibility for managing HomeChoice's entire line-up of South Asian-targeted VOD content, which now includes a revamped VOD movie service and a new music videos-on-demand service. The new VOD services are part of an ongoing Video Networks initiative to target South Asian consumers: early last month, HomeChoice began offering two linear TV channels devoted to South Asian content--Sony Entertainment Television Asia and Zee TV--and it is also introducing a South Asian telephony package that will offer reduced rate calls to various countries in that region.
The movies-on-demand service that is being offered under the Video Networks-Eros partnership is called "B On Demand Movies." It is priced at £10 per month, and provides subscribers with 50 movies at any given time. The service's offerings include new Bollywood films such as "Waqt," "My Wife's Murder," and "No Entry," as well as classic Indian movies, interviews with Bollywood celebrities, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes and more. The new music videos-on-demand service, dubbed "B On Demand Music," offers music videos from new and forthcoming Bollywood films. Priced at £5 per month (it is free to subscribers of B On Demand Movies), it provides subscribers with around 150 videos at any given time. "We are excited about the opportunity of building a compelling Asian entertainment offering with HomeChoice," Eros CEO, Jyoti Deshpande, said in a prepared statement. "Aggressive windows for the films coupled with the convenience of 'on-demand' at a competitive subscription option should make this a unique and attractive proposition for our very savvy potential customers. Over the years, we have entertained our customers by bringing Bollywood to them via theatres, DVD and broadcast television. Now, with B on Demand, we can say that Bollywood is truly ready for the digital era."
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