AT&T to Offer Exclusive US Premiere of New "Wallace and Gromit" Film on its IPTV VOD Service

US incumbent telco, AT&T, announced Thursday that its Microsoft Mediaroom-powered IPTV service, U-verse TV, will offer the exclusive US premiere of Aardman Animations' new "Wallace and Gromit" short film, "A Matter of Loaf and Death," as part of a three-screen promotional deal that will also involve the telco's mobile and broadband platforms. From June 5th through 7th, the film will be available free-of-charge on U-verse TV's video-on-demand service (thereafter, it will be available for a $4 rental on the service exclusively through August 31st). In addition, starting June 1st, "Wallace and Gromit" clips will be offered on AT&T wireless devices through the company's CV-Video mobile VOD service, as well as on uconnect.att.com, a site for U-verse TV customers that promotes the service's latest programming offerings, and on the U-verse TV's VOD service. "'Wallace and Gromit' are followed by fans worldwide, and we're very proud to be the first US distributor to offer this new family-friendly film to our customers," Jeff Weber, president of video services for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, said in a prepared statement. "This is the perfect example of how our three-screen capabilities provide value to our millions of TV, wireless and broadband customers, and also give AT&T an exclusive opportunity to work with leaders in the entertainment industry to deliver their compelling content to audiences across devices."

In addition to the US premiere of "A Matter of Loaf and Death," the AT&T-Aardman "Wallace and Gromit" promotion includes the following elements:

• A "'Wallace and Gromit' Fun Pack," consisting of "A Matter of Loaf and Death," and three other short films--"A Grand Day Out," "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave"--will be available for $7 on the U-verse TV VOD service, starting June 8th.
• A 22-minute documentary on the making of the new "Wallace and Gromit" film will be offered free-of-charge on the VOD service, as well as on uconnect.att.com.
• "Cracking Contraptions," a series of 10 two-minute films featuring "'Wallace and Gromit's' most outrageous inventions" will be available free-of-charge on the VOD service, on uconnect.att.com, and on mobile handsets via the CV-Video service.
• Trailers and clips from "A Matter of Loaf and Death" and other "Wallace and Gromit" films will be available on the VOD service, on uconnect.att.com and on mobile handsets.