Mobile operator 3 Italia today announced the launch of Italy’s first mobile TV subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, giving subscribers on-demand access to entire episodes of hit TV shows.
The breakthrough SVOD service, called ‘TV: OnDemand’, is fully managed and powered by On Demand Group, (a SeaChange International company, Nasdaq: SEAC), the three-screen enabler for premier content and operations brands. 3 Italia’s TV on Demand will fulfil the industry’s anytime, anywhere personal TV vision to provide the most desired programs to any handset with complete on-demand control.
TV: On Demand will establish a major competitive differentiation among mobile television services. Leveraging On Demand Group’s numerous partner studios and programmer relationships and its mobile video technology platform, TV: On Demand will present a mobile viewing experience that correlates to television and broadband PC viewing. It will offer a variety of top-rated television shows (comedy, drama, etc.), enabling subscribers to extend their enjoyment of complete programs while they’re on the go, away from their TV and broadband connections. Adrenalin now ensures subscribers on 3 handsets can enjoy the new personalised functionality, including play, pause and resume of all programs at anytime. Initial content details of the service will be released later.
Roberto Forte, Mobile TV, Portal & Vas Director at 3 Italia, said, "This platform gives us the ability to offer true on-demand TV, bringing one of the most popular types of television to our mobile customers. The TV: On Demand service will allow our customers to watch their favourite programmes when and where they want to."
Tony Kelly, CEO of ODG, said, "The introduction of subscription video-on-demand with full length programming to the mobile environment heralds a new era in the growth of mobile video. Our experience shows that penetration and viewing rates are enhanced by subscription on demand services, and Adrenalin’s capability to deliver this new experience fits with the convergence strategies of our customers and consumers’ increasing desire for multi-platform access and on-demand viewing."
ODG provides 3 Italia and other customers with access to an integrated suite of services and technologies, including the Adrenalin video delivery platform and the VZ content management platform, to develop and manage on-demand services to any consumer platform. The organization today supplies telco, cable and mobile operators with movies, programmes and promotions in English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Turkish and Arabic.
