BT

Because the [itvt] editorial team has a backlog of news to cover following TVOT NYC Intensive 2011 and our post-event vacation, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up/summary format. We anticipate that it will take us several days to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us.

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up/summary format. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

UK incumbent telco, BT, plans to let viewers decide the outcome of a new storyline in its long-running series of commercials featuring the characters, Adam (played by Kris Marshall) and Jane (played by Esther Hall), the Guardian reported Monday.

Here is a round-up of some other recent interactive TV-related stories that we didn't have room for in this issue:

UK incumbent telco, BT, said Monday that it has signed a contract with BSkyB for the wholesale supply of the latter's Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 channels. The channels will be made available, via digital terrestrial, on BT's hybrid DTT/IP platform, BT Vision, the IP element of which is powered by Microsoft's Mediaroom software. They are slated to launch August 1st--i.e. in time for the August 14th kickoff of the UK Premier League soccer season.

UK incumbent telco, BT, has launched a new set-top box for its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered hybrid IP/DTT service, BT Vision.

UK incumbent telco, BT, said Thursday that it has signed a five-year exclusive agreement to carry a new subscription VOD service, called Bolly & Beyond, on BT Vision, its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered, interactive TV-enabled hybrid IPTV service (note: the service is enabled via a hybrid set-top box that allows viewers to access linear channels from the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, alongside IP-delivered on-demand and interactive content).

UK incumbent telco BT announced Tuesday that BT Vision, its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered, interactive TV-enabled hybrid IPTV service (note: the service is enabled via a hybrid set-top box that allows viewers to access linear channels from the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, alongside IP-delivered on-demand and interactive content), has launched an interactive TV dating service in partnership with Match.com.

In the course of announcing earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter and year Thursday, UK incumbent telco, BT, said that its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered IPTV service, BT Vision, had 423,000 customers as of March 31st, compared to 398,000 at the end of the prior quarter, and that in March "customer viewing was an average of 30 views" (note: BT Vision is enabled via a hybrid set-top box that allows viewers to access linear channels from the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, alongside IP-de

Project Canvas--a joint initiative between the BBC, UK commercial broadcaster ITV, and UK incumbent telco BT, which seeks to develop a common standard and interface for the delivery of online catch-up services such as the BBC iPlayer and the ITV player, as well as other Internet-based VOD services, to broadband-connected set-top boxes (specifically, set-top boxes designed for reception of the UK's free-to-air multichannel TV services, Freeview and Freesat)--may be facing the same kind of regulatory scrutiny that led to the demise of Project Kangaroo, the joint VOD venture between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 (note: for more on Kangaroo's demise, see the article posted on itvt.com April 20th).