Free Museum Days Help Lift Ovation
Network Building Sub Base Via Local Programs With Time Warner Cable, Charter, Comcast
John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 6/20/2009 1:58:00 AM
Ovation TV is crediting its local affiliate efforts with helping pick up cable subscribers lately.The arts network has local programs going with Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications currently. It has launched local video-on-demand fare on Comcast in Chicago, with programs including Art & the City: Chicago and with Comcast is sponsoring free Tuesdays at the Museum of Contemporary Art there.
With Time Warner, Ovation is doing free days at the Dallas Art Museum and sponsoring "Jazz Fridays" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
In New England, Ovation is working with Charter to support its "Live It" loyalty program by supplying a number of local art and cultural assets for customer rewards, including museum memberships and theater tickets.
The payoff: Comcast added Ovation in several new markets this year, including Houston, Boston and, in August, Portland, Ore. Time Warner Cable added it in Albuquerque, N.M., and parts of the New York City market, and Charter added Ovation subscribers in New England.
The network is at 32 million subscribers now, projecting 37 million at year-end.
