The British multinational telecommunications services company BT Group plc, also known as BT (British Telecom), has announced in the following press release, from from the
official BT plc website, btplc.com, the Nickelodeon UK News that their subscription digital TV service, BT Vision has partnered with Viacom International Media Networks to bring VIMN's leading TV entertainment channels Nickelodeon UK, MTV UK and Comedy Central UK and Nickelodeon to BT Vision’s fast-growing line-up of linear channels. Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV will be streamed, with some programs available on-demand from early 2013. BT have also announced that Nick UK's popular preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK, will also be joining BT Vision's channel line-up later this year!:
Viacom International Media Networks deal brings MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels to BT Vision
BT Vision has signed a contract with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), to bring leading TV entertainment channels, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, to BT Vision’s fast-growing line-up of linear channels. MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, it is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative and relevant programming for a youth audience.
MTV UK, which reaches more than 22.5 million households and is currently the Broadcast Digital Entertainment channel of the year, is home to ratings-busting local shows like Geordie Shore and The Valleys, top US imports like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom and events like the MTV EMAs, VMAs and Movie Awards.
Comedy Central is the UK’s most popular comedy brand and is currently the number one pay TV general entertainment channel for 16-34-year-olds, available in more than 13 million homes.
Comedy Central broadcasts some of the funniest shows around - from award-winning UK commissions like Threesome and the upcoming Big Bad World starring Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners), which debuts in 2013, to the biggest and best shows from the US including, The Daily Show, South Park, 30 Rock, Friends, Two and a Half Men and Charlie Sheen’s new hit comedy Anger Management.
Nickelodeon joins the BT Vision line-up, bringing the best in animated and live-action kids’ content to family audiences. Nickelodeon is the number one commercial kids’ network in the UK and is available in 14 million cable and satellite homes. Home of the internationally loved and award-winning SpongeBob SquarePants as well as the hit UK-produced mystery series, House of Anubis, Nickelodeon also airs brand new episodes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nick Jr. is also set to join BT Vision’s line-up this year.
The new channels join BT Vision's growing list of linear channels, which already includes Universal Channel, Syfy, E!, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Real Time, British Eurosport 1 and 2, FX, National Geographic, National Geographic WILD and UKTV’s Gold, Watch and Alibi.
Marc Watson, BT’s chief executive of TV, said: “We're really excited about these channels coming to BT Vision - we're certain our viewers will love them. MTV is the pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people, with the best in music, celebrity news and reality TV, Comedy Central is cutting edge comedy overflowing with provocative, original programming and Nickelodeon is the number one brand in the world for kids.”
David Lynn, managing director and executive vice president, UK, Australia & Eastern Europe & International Content Distribution, VIMN, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring three of the world's top entertainment channels to BT Vision viewers. Across kids, youth and adults, VIMN brands showcase some of the most popular content – from Geordie Shore, Two and a Half Men and SpongeBob SquarePants - to our audience, however they want to view it. Being part of BT Vision represents the natural next step in delivering that content.”
MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels will be streamed on BT Vision, with some programmes available on-demand from early 2013.
Images are available on request
Notes to editors
About Viacom International Media Networks UK & Ireland
Viacom International Media Networks UK & Ireland represent 23 channels that offer the very best in music, comedy and kids programming through its MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon brands. The brands have been market leaders across the three primary genre groups for more than 10 years, reaching 22.9 million homes through SKY, cable and Freeview.
Our ten branded music and entertainment channels comprise of MTV, MTV Music, MTV +1, MTV Rocks, MTV Classic, MTV Hits, MTV Dance, MTV Base, VH1 and VIVA. They feature the best in music alongside popular shows such as Geordie Shore, The Valleys, Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. Comedy Central and Nickelodeon in the UK are part of the VIMN portfolio of channels through joint ventures with BSkyB.
Also, from
Cable.co.uk:
Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon to launch on BT Vision
South Park and a host of other Comedy Central shows are coming to BT Vision
Another three linear channels are set to launch on the BT Vision platform.
BT Vision has sealed an agreement with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) to add MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to its line-up of linear television channels.
Comedy Central is the number one pay TV general entertainment channel among 16 to 34-year-olds in the UK. Available in more than 13 million homes, it boasts an array of US and homegrown comedy such as Friends, South Park and Threesome.
MTV UK, which has a reach of more than 22.5 million households, is the current Broadcast Digital Entertainment channel of the year and home to shows like Geordie Shore and The Valleys.
Nickelodeon carries the award-winning SpongeBob SquarePants and is the top commercial children's network in Britain, with 14 million satellite and cable homes able to receive the channel. In addition, Nick Jr. is set to launch on the BT Vision platform later this year.
Chief executive of TV at BT Marc Watson said: "We're really excited about these channels coming to BT Vision - we're certain our viewers will love them."
David Lynn, VIMN's managing director and executive vice president for the UK, Australia and eastern Europe and international content distribution, added: "We are delighted to be able to bring three of the world's top entertainment channels to BT Vision viewers."
Also, from
imediamonkey:
MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon coming to BT Vision
© Comedy Central / MTV / Nickelodeon
MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon will be streamed on BT Vision platform, with some programmes available on-demand from early 2013, it has been announced.
The news comes as BT Vision and Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) agree a deal to bring the three leading entertainment channels to the platform’s fast-growing line-up of linear channels."We are delighted to be able to bring three of the world’s top entertainment channels to BT Vision viewers."
— David Lynn, Managing Directior, VIMN
BT’s Chief Executive of TV, Marc Watson, said: “We’re really excited about these channels coming to BT Vision – we’re certain our viewers will love them. MTV is the pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people, with the best in music, celebrity news and reality TV, Comedy Central is cutting edge comedy overflowing with provocative, original programming and Nickelodeon is the number one brand in the world for kids.”
Managing Director and Executive Vice President for UK, Australia & Eastern Europe & International Content Distribution at VIMN, David Lynn, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring three of the world’s top entertainment channels to BT Vision viewers. Across kids, youth and adults, VIMN brands showcase some of the most popular content – from Geordie Shore, Two and a Half Men and SpongeBob SquarePants - to our audience, however they want to view it. Being part of BT Vision represents the natural next step in delivering that content.”
Watch a series one recap of Comedy Central’s Threesome [here on the official imediamonkey website, imediamonkey.com].
Also, from Variety's TV News column on the official Variety website,
Variety.com:
Viacom inks pact with U.K. telco BT
MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon added to lineup
LONDON
Viacom has pacted with U.K. telco BT to add MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to the lineup of channels on its pay TV platform, BT Vision.
The trio will be streamed, with some programs available on-demand from early this year.
Viacom's U.K. content includes "Geordie Shore" and "The Valleys" on MTV, "Threesome" and "Big Bad World," which stars Blake Harrison from "The Inbetweeners," on Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon's mystery series "House of Anubis."
BT Vision, which reported 750,000 subscribers in November, already carries Universal Channel, Syfy, E!, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, FX and National Geographic.
Deal was inked by David Lynn, managing director and exec VP, U.K., Australia and Eastern Europe, and international content distribution, at Viacom Intl. Media Networks, and Marc Watson, BT's chief exec of TV.
Also, from
The Hollywood Reporter:
Viacom, U.K.'s BT Strike TV Network Carriage Deal
The arrangement will bring MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to the BT Vision pay TV service in Britain, which competes with the likes of BSkyB.
LONDON - U.K. telecom giant BT Vision has signed a carriage deal with Viacom's Viacom International Media Networks to bring the MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels to its BT Vision pay TV service.
Financial terms weren't disclosed. The agreement is BT's latest carriage arrangement with a Hollywood conglomerate.
"MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels will be streamed on BT Vision, with some programs available on-demand from early 2013," BT said.
The new channels join BT Vision’s growing list of linear channels, which include NBCUniversal's Universal Channel, Syfy, E!, Discovery Communications' Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, as well as News Corp.'s FX, National Geographic and National Geographic Wild.
David Lynn, managing director and executive vp, UK, Australia & Eastern Europe & international content distribution at VIMN, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring three of the world’s top entertainment channels to BT Vision viewers. Across kids, youth and adults, VIMN brands showcase some of the most popular content - from Geordie Shore, Two and a Half Men and SpongeBob SquarePants - to our audience, however they want to view it. Being part of BT Vision represents the natural next step in delivering that content."
“We’re really excited about these channels coming to BT Vision," said BT's CEO of TV Marc Watson. "MTV is the pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people, with the best in music, celebrity news and reality TV, Comedy Central is cutting edge comedy overflowing with provocative, original programming and Nickelodeon is the number one brand in the world for kids.”
Comedy Central is the U.K.’s most popular comedy TV brand and is currently the number one pay TV general entertainment channel for 16-34-year-olds, available in more than 13 million homes, the companies said.
Comedy Central airs U.K. shows such as Threesome and such U.S. hits as The Daily Show, South Park, 30 Rock, Friends, Two and a Half Men and Charlie Sheen’s Anger Management.
Also, from
Rapid tv news:
BT Vision adds MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to content portfolio
In the latest of a series of strategic moves to bolster the IPTV service, BT Vision has signed a contract with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) to bring more entertainment channels to its linear channel bouquet.
This means that BT Vision will now be able to offer the iconic MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon brands. The new channels will join BT Vision's roster which already includes Universal Channel, Syfy, E!, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Real Time, British Eurosport 1 and 2, FX, National Geographic, National Geographic WILD and UKTV's Gold, Watch and Alibi.
To put the deal into context, MTV UK reaches more than 22.5 million households and is currently the Broadcast Digital Entertainment channel of the year. It shows locally product content such as Geordie Shore and The Valleys as well as US imports like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom, and hosts and broadcasts events like the MTV EMAs, VMAs and Movie Awards.
For its part, Comedy Central is said to be the UK's most popular comedy brand and is currently the No 1 pay-TV general entertainment channel for 16-34-year-olds, available in over 13 million homes.
Commenting on the deal, Marc Watson, BT's chief executive of TV, said: "We're really excited about these channels coming to BT Vision – we're certain our viewers will love them. MTV is the pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people, with the best in music, celebrity news and reality TV; Comedy Central is cutting-edge comedy overflowing with provocative, original programming; and Nickelodeon is the No 1 brand in the world for kids."
For his part, David Lynn, managing director and executive vice president, UK, Australia & Eastern Europe & international content distribution, VIMN, added: "Across kids, youth and adults, VIMN brands showcase some of the most popular content – from Geordie Shore, Two and a Half Men and SpongeBob SquarePants – to our audience, however they want to view it. Being part of BT Vision represents the natural next step in delivering that content."
Tags: united kingdomm, tv, comedy, central, nickelodeon, bt vision, iptv, viacom international media networks, uk & ireland, vimm, universal channel, syfy, e!, discovery channel, animal planet, real time, british eurosport 1 and 2, fx, national geographic, national geographic wild, uktv's gold, watch, alibi
Also, from
C21Media:
BT adds Viacom networks
NEWS BRIEF: UK telco BT is adding MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to its BT Vision IPTV service following a deal with Viacom International Media Networks.
The pact further boosts BT’s linear TV offering, with the entertainment channels joining the likes of Universal Channel, Syfy and E! Entertainment, which it added last month; and Discovery Channel, Real Time and Animal Planet, added in November.
C21 reporter
10-01-2013
©C21Media
TAGS: Channel distribution
GENRES: Children's, Comedy, Entertainment
SHOWS: Geordie Shore, SpongeBob SquarePants, Two and a Half Men
PEOPLE: David Lynn
COMPANIES: BT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom International Media Networks
SECTIONS: FutureMedia
COUNTRIES: UK
Also, from
Digital Spy's Media news column:
BT Vision adds MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels
BT has agreed a deal with Viacom International Media Networks to bring the MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels to BT Vision.
The telecoms giant has also signed a separate deal with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for hundreds of hours of live tennis for its new BT Sport operation.
[...]
[South Park] © Paramount [and Comedy Central]
Under the agreement with Viacom, BT Vision customers will now be able to watch the MTV UK channel, home of shows such as Geordie Shore, The Valleys, Jersey Shore and Teen Mom.
They can also enjoy Comedy Central, broadcaster of The Daily Show, South Park, 30 Rock and Friends; as well as Nickelodeon, the children's network that airs SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nick Jr is set to join BT Vision's lineup this year.
BT's chief executive of TV, Marc Watson, said that he was "really excited" to add the channels to BT Vision.
"MTV is the pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people, with the best in music, celebrity news and reality TV; Comedy Central is cutting edge comedy overflowing with provocative, original programming; and Nickelodeon is the number one brand in the world for kids," he said.
MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels will be streamed on BT Vision, with some on-demand programmes added from early 2013.
BT has been quietly expanding its channel lineup for BT Vision over the past few months, including deals to networks from Eurosport, National Geographic, Universal and UKTV.
The telecoms giant has also been busy signing sports rights deal to go with Premier League football and Aviva Premiership Rugby on its BT Sport network, which will launch in the summer.
Today, the firm said that it has agreed a deal with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to show as much as 800 hours per year of live tennis from events featuring the best female tennis players in the world.
BT Sport will air live matches from the 21 WTA tournaments, as World No.1 Victoria Azarenka fends off the challenge from the likes of Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters, along with resurgent British players Laura Robson and Heather Watson.
In a statement, BT said that it has chosen to invest in women's tennis in order to "widen the appeal of its new sports channels".
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: "This is our first women's sport for the channels and we see a genuine opportunity to really develop the exposure for women's sport with our new channels.
"We are focusing on several more women's sports and we hope to be able to announce more rights soon.
"Women's tennis is the highest-profile women's sport, attracting a global audience of 185 million viewers. It's a good moment for the British women, with Laura and Heather starting to challenge for honours.
"We want to follow their story over the next few years, as well as showcasing the world's best players in the tournaments that help determine their world rankings."
Also, from
IP&TV News:
BT Vision inks Viacom deal to bring MTV and Comedy Central
UK telco BT has signed a contract with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) to bring leading TV entertainment channels MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to the growing line-up of linear channels which the telco delivers via IPTV on its hybrid TV service ‘BT Vision’.
MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels will be streamed on BT Vision, with some programmes available on-demand from early 2013.
They join a growing list of channels available on BT Vision from outside the ‘Freeview’ DTT platform, such as Universal Channel, Syfy, E!, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Real Time, British Eurosport 1 and 2, FX, National Geographic, National Geographic WILD and UKTV’s Gold, Watch and Alibi.
David Lynn, managing director and executive vice president, UK, Australia & Eastern Europe & International Content Distribution, VIMN, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring three of the world’s top entertainment channels to BT Vision viewers.
“Across kids, youth and adults, VIMN brands showcase some of the most popular content – from Geordie Shore, Two and a Half Men and SpongeBob SquarePants – to our audience, however they want to view it. Being part of BT Vision represents the natural next step in delivering that content.”
BT recently revealed that it has passed three-quarters of a million subscribers for its IPTV service ‘BT Vision’ after adding 21,000 customers in the third quarter of this year, and confirmed that it is accelerating its rollout of fibre broadband.
To read our recent interview with VIMN’s David Lynn, in which he discusses how Viacom brands are leveraging social media tools to engage with more effectively with audiences, please click here.
Tags: BT, BT Vision, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom International Media Networks, VIMN
Also, from
IPTV News:
BT Vision inks Viacom deal to bring MTV and Comedy Central
UK telco BT has signed a contract with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) to bring leading TV entertainment channels MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to the growing line-up of linear channels which the telco delivers via IPTV on its hybrid TV service ‘BT Vision’.
MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon channels will be streamed on BT Vision, with some programmes available on-demand from early 2013.
They join a growing list of channels available on BT Vision from outside the ‘Freeview’ DTT platform, such as Universal Channel, Syfy, E!, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Real Time, British Eurosport 1 and 2, FX, National Geographic, National Geographic WILD and UKTV’s Gold, Watch and Alibi.
David Lynn, managing director and executive vice president, UK, Australia & Eastern Europe & International Content Distribution, VIMN, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring three of the world’s top entertainment channels to BT Vision viewers.
“Across kids, youth and adults, VIMN brands showcase some of the most popular content – from Geordie Shore, Two and a Half Men and SpongeBob SquarePants – to our audience, however they want to view it. Being part of BT Vision represents the natural next step in delivering that content.”
BT recently revealed that it has passed three-quarters of a million subscribers for its IPTV service ‘BT Vision’ after adding 21,000 customers in the third quarter of this year, and confirmed that it is accelerating its rollout of fibre broadband.
To read our recent interview with VIMN’s David Lynn, in which he discusses how Viacom brands are leveraging social media tools to engage with more effectively with audiences, please click here.
Tags: BT, BT Vision, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom International Media Networks, VIMN
Also, from the
Scotsman:
Market watch: Analysts anxious over cost of BT’s television battle with BSkyB
FIGURES this week will shed further light upon the extent of the inroads being made by the beefed-up BT Vision into Sky’s dominance of UK market for paid television.
BSkyB’s half-year results on Thursday will be followed by third-quarter numbers from BT on Friday. Both will reveal how many customers they signed up for their TV services in the past three months.
BT has been investing heavily to boost its presence in the so-called “triple play” market for combined packages of telephone, TV and internet services, starting with last year’s £738 million splurge on 38 live English Premier League matches from 2013. The group also has rights to club rugby, and this month sealed a four-year deal with the Women’s Tennis Association.
BT has been bringing other programmes on to its platform too, having recently signed a deal with Viacom to add Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon to its line-up of entertainment channels.
One analyst noted that BT’s interest payments were now costing more than its dividend pay-out, while free cash flow fell into negative territory last year. He said: “It’s a huge investment that could yield substantial rewards, but if they get it wrong they’ll be crushed by debt.”
BT added 21,000 customers to its TV service in the second quarter, trumping rivals Virgin Media and BskyB. The latter added 20,000 customers during the same period.
BSkyB remains the dominant player in the market with a TV subscription base of more than 10.5 million households. BT Vision, by contrast, has about 750,000 TV customers.
“There would have to be something huge in next week’s figures before you could say there has been any dramatic shift, and I don’t expect anything on that sort of scale,” the analyst added. “This is more of a long-term story.”
High oil prices are expected to narrow falls in profits at oil giant Shell on Thursday.
The City predict fourth-quarter profits will be 3 per cent lower at $6.3 billion (£4bn), down from $6.5bn in the same period last year. Profits had fallen by 15 per cent in the previous quarter due to “volatile” energy markets.
Also, from
uSwitch.com (Tech):
BT adds new channels to pay-TV service
Three new channels and women's tennis for BT Vision subscribers
BT Vision is continuing to bring new channels and content to its UK television subscribers.
The pay-TV vendor has signed a contract with Viacom International Media Networks to bring a number of popular entertainment channels to its platform.
MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon have all launched on BT Vision this month, increasing the range of options for viewers.
Marc Watson, BT’s Chief Executive of TV, said the firm is "really excited" about these channels coming to BT Vision.
"MTV is the pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people, with the best in music, celebrity news and reality TV," he noted.
"Comedy Central is cutting edge comedy overflowing with provocative, original programming and Nickelodeon is the number one brand in the world for kids."
The new channels join BT Vision’s growing portfolio - which already includes Universal Channel, Syfy, E!, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Real Time, British Eurosport 1 and 2, FX, National Geographic, National Geographic WILD and UKTV’s Gold, Watch and Alibi.
Meanwhile, BT Sport has signed a deal with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to show up to 800 hours per year of live action from the ladies' tour.
The TV provider will show live matches from 21 WTA tournaments across the globe, including the season-ending showpiece TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships.
The announcement coincides with an upturn in fortunes for British women’s tennis, with two British players ranked in the WTA Top-50 for the first time since July 1987.
Both Laura Robson and Heather Watson will be hoping to make an impression at the four Grand Slam events in 2013 - with Wimbledon a key target for the two rising stars.
The BT Sport deal is for four years and includes the five elite WTA tournaments – Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing and Istanbul.
During the 2013 season, the rights will be held jointly with Eurosport, but from 2014 will be exclusively owned by BT Sport.
Simon Green, Head of BT Sport, said there is a "genuine opportunity" to develop the exposure for women’s sport with the broadcaster's new channels.
"We are focusing on several more women’s sports and we hope to be able to announce more rights soon," he stated.
BT Sport has already secured live top flight football and rugby union rights from the 2013-14 season.
Tags: BT, Broadband and TV packages, Broadband and IPTV
