CraveTV
| Founded | December 2014 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Area served | Canada |
| Parent | Bell Media |
| Website | cravetv.ca |
| Type of site | Video on demand |
| Launched | December 11, 2014 |
CraveTV is a Canadian subscription video on demand service for cable and satellite subscribers owned by Bell Media. The service is oriented towards television series, with a library of 10,000 hours of programming on-launch, and exclusive Canadian rights to HBO's library of past programs. CraveTV content can be accessed through the video on demand libraries of the user's respective television provider, or as an over-the-top service through the service's website and apps.
CraveTV is viewed as a complement to an existing television subscription; as such, the service is not available as a standalone product and can only be purchased through participating television providers, although Bell has promised that the service itself would be available to "every TV provider in Canada". It competes directly with other subscription-based over-the-top streaming services, such as Netflix, as well as the Rogers/Shaw joint venture Shomi.
Distribution[edit]
CraveTV is available via the video on demand library of subscribers' set-top boxes, and as an over-the-top service via its website, mobile apps, video game consoles, smart TVs, and other devices. Bell has not indicated any plans to make CraveTV available on a standalone over-the-top basis, instead stating that CraveTV will "enhance the value of the subscription television ecosystem" and will be "available to every TV provider in Canada".[1] Bell Media president Kevin Crull explained that television content on any streaming service "[would not] exist if you didn’t have the traditional TV system. So you really can’t sustainably have one without the other."[2] Further, he stated that the service would not "cannibalize" Bell's investment in traditional linear television services.[3] Tying the service to a television service also counters the trend of "cord cutting", in which one drops cable or satellite television in favor of exclusively obtaining television programming over-the-air and through SVOD services.[3]
On launch, the service is only available to subscribers of Bell Canada's television services (Bell Satellite TV, Fibe TV, and FibreOP), along with Eastlink, Northwestel, and Telus.[2] On launch, the service is offered for $4 per-month, undercutting its competitors.[2]
Content[edit]
The service is oriented primarily towards television series, carrying over 10,000 hours of programming on-launch; Bell expects the library to double within a year of the service's launch.[2] Among the programs which will be exclusive to CraveTV are programs broadcast by other Bell properties, such as The Big Bang Theory, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Seinfeld. New episodes of Saving Hope will also premiere on CraveTV one day before their premiere on CTV.[3][1]
The service carries the full catalogue of HBO "off-air" programming (i.e. series no longer in production), such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire, and various older HBO-produced television films, documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials.[1][4] Current HBO programming remains exclusive to HBO Canada, which Bell Media operates in eastern Canada.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Bell Media to Launch New Streaming Service Devoted Exclusively to Exceptional TV". Bell Media. October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Bell Media’s Cravetv launches with low-cost subscription". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- ^ a b c "CraveTV ‘not cannibalizing’ resources away from traditional TV, says Bell Media president". Financial Post. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- ^ "Bell launches Project Latte streaming service with entire HBO catalogue". CBCNews.ca. October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
External link[edit]
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