Comcast Expands Programming Line-Up for Celtics On Demand

Comcast announced last week that it is expanding the content line-up of Celtics On Demand, the free VOD service it offers fans of Boston Celtics basketball on its systems in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. According to the MSO, the new season of the service--which is enabled by a collaboration with the MSO's Comcast SportsNet arm and the Boston Celtics team--will provide more behind-the-scenes coverage of the team, its players and its cheerleaders (the Celtics Dancers), as well as coverage of press conferences and of community events that have been produced by the Boston Celtics. "With Celtics On Demand," Comcast says, "fans can watch Celtics Captain Paul Pierce teach a new generation how to play basketball; see Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo rollerskating; and take a front row seat at Coach Rivers' post-game press conferences." In addition, the MSO promises, the service will shortly offer a new documentary, entitled "Take It Back," which tells the story of how the Boston Celtics "added Rasheed Wallace and other talent to this year's team to make for another championship-driving season." Fans can also use Comcast's VOD platform to access replays of Comcast SportsNet's Boston Celtics telecasts, which are made available on-demand for 24 hours within four hours of each game's conclusion.

Celtics On Demand is accessed by first going to Comcast On Demand's "Get Local" or "Sports and Fitness" categories, and then selecting "NBA TV" and "Boston Celtics." In order to access game replays, viewers select the "Comcast SportsNet" category. "Comcast is thrilled to offer another season of Celtics On Demand exclusively for Comcast customers at no additional cost," Steve Hackley, SVP of Comcast's Greater Boston region, said in a prepared statement. "With Celtics On Demand, fans can stay connected to the Celtics at any time of the day or night, with exclusive features and full game replays that bring them all of the hometown action."

Earlier this year, Comcast teamed with the Boston Red Sox baseball team to offer a service called Red Sox On Demand (see the article published on itvt.com, June 17th); meanwhile, last month rival Verizon announced the launch of a free VOD service in partnership with the New England Patriots football team (see the article published on itvt.com, October 4th).

In other VOD news: UK cable MSO, Virgin Media, last week provided some information on the line-up of programming it will be offering this winter on its TV Choice VOD service (available at no extra charge to the company's XL TV customers, and at £7 per month to its M, M+ and L customers). Offerings include HBO's "Generation Kill" (available in HD and SD from December 3rd), "Six Feet Under" (season four; available in HD and SD from November) and "The Wire" (season three; available in SD throughout November and December); and Warner TV's "Gossip Girl" (seasons one and two; available in SD through December 20th), "Big Bang Theory" (season two; available in SD throughout November and December), and "Two and a Half Men" (season five; available in SD through December 21st).