Multiple VOD Content Deals for BT Vision

--Subscriber Base Grows to 340,000

UK incumbent telco, BT, has struck a number of new VOD content deals for its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered hybrid IPTV/DTT service, BT Vision (note: on-demand content is offered on the service either on a pay-per-view basis or as part of a range of subscription packages), over the past few weeks:

• A deal with Twentieth Century Fox gives BT Vision VOD rights to a range of the latter's new-release and library movies, including such titles as "The Happening," "Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who," "Alien Resurrection," "The Beach," and "Die Hard." All the titles are being offered on a pay-per-view basis.
• A deal with UK commercial terrestrial broadcaster, Five, makes the latter's catch-up service, Demand Five, available on BT Vision's TV Replay service. Five programming is available on the service for up to 30 days after its broadcast.
• A deal with the UK's largest commercial terrestrial broadcaster, ITV (note: the name is an acronym for "Independent Television Network"), makes a range of the latter's current and library programming available on BT Vision. The deal calls for BT to pay ITV a per-subscriber fee and to guarantee the broadcaster a minimum annual revenue amount. As a result of the deal--which, BT says, represents "ITV's first deal of this type with a set-top box VOD operator"--ITV programs broadcast over the past eight days are available through the TV Replay service. The deal means that that service now features catch-up programming from all the UK's terrestrial broadcasters.
• A deal with BabyTV, a provider of programs targeted at babies, toddlers and parents, makes a range of the latter's programming available on-demand on BT Vision.
• A deal with Disney Channel UK gives BT Vision VOD rights to a range of programming from Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney.

In related news: BT recently announced that it had added 58,000 subscribers to BT Vision, bringing the service's subscriber base to around 340,000.