Canadian cable operator, Rogers Communications, on Monday announced the widespread availability of the beta version of Rogers On Demand Online, its initial implementation of the so-called "TV Everywhere" distribution model (note: the "TV Everywhere" distribution model seeks, via authentication technology, to make programming that pay-TV customers have already paid for through their cable, satellite or IPTV subscriptions available to those customers on multiple Web sites and platforms, and thus aims to head off the threat posed to pay-TV services by the increasing availability of over-the-top programming--for some background on TV Everywhere, see the articles published on itvt.com, April 30th, May 14th, June 25th and July 15th).

While TV Everywhere services are ultimately envisioned as making programming available to authenticated pay-TV subscribers on multiple Web sites and platforms (note: see, for example, the recent announcement by thePlatform, the company that is powering Rogers On Demand Online, of a new solution that will enable programmers to offer TV Everywhere services on their own Web sites--covered in an article published on itvt.com, November 18th), Rogers' initial implementation of TV Everywhere makes programs available only on a dedicated Web site (rogersondemand.com)--though the company has previously revealed plans to launch TV Everywhere support on smartphones and games consoles next year. According to the company, any consumer with a Rogers account can now visit rogersondemand.com and register to access content from a range of programmers via any broadband Internet connection within Canada. The beta version of the service, which is offered to all Rogers Cable, Rogers Home Phone, Rogers Hi-Speed Internet and Rogers Wireless customers, provides around 1,000 hours of content from 17 broadcast and production partners and 30 channels. The service's premium and specialty content, however, is available only to customers who already subscribe to it as part of their Rogers Cable subscription. "Rogers On Demand Online is an extension of the existing cable television model which customers have come to enjoy and rely on at home that truly revolutionizes the world of entertainment and provides the most convenient TV content access ever made available," David Purdy, Rogers' VP of video product management, said in a prepared statement. "By expanding the TV experience to the Internet, Rogers customers can now take TV beyond the box with their favorite shows, movies, TV classics and exclusive content--all in one place from virtually any place--wherever they have an Internet connection in Canada. And this is just the beginning."

According to Rogers, the Rogers On Demand Online beta provides a range of primetime and classic TV shows, specialty TV, movies, music and sports, as well as a range of Web-exclusive content. Content partners for the new service include Aux.tv, Big 10 Network, The Biography Channel, Bit.tv, Citytv, Food Network Canada, G4, Galaxie MVOD, Global Television, HGTV Canada, History Television, Maple Pictures, the National Film Board of Canada, OLN, Rogers Sportsnet, Setanta, Slice, Showcase, Super Channel, Teletoon, Treehouse, TVO, TVtropolis, UFC, Vuguru, WarnerTV and YTV.

Rogers also said Monday that it has signed an exclusive launch sponsorship for Rogers On Demand Online with Starcom MediaVest, that will see a number of the latter's clients, including Research In Motion, Kellogg's, Kraft, and Samsung, advertising on the service.