Cablevision Closes VOD Deal for Shield , 24
By Multi Channel News Staff -- Multichannel News, 5/8/2002 4:00:00 AM
New Orleans -- In what is apparently the first agreement of this kind for the programmer, Fox Entertainment Group has closed a deal for Cablevision Systems Corp. to offer FX's The Shield and Fox's 24 on a video-on-demand basis, officials said Tuesday.
Cablevision's iO: Interactive Optimum digital customers will have access to all of the first season's episodes of the two edgy, groundbreaking shows at no additional charge. It's available in parts of New York and New Jersey.
News Corp. president Peter Chernin disclosed the deal during Tuesday's opening general session at the National Show here.
The pact marks the first time an original broadcast series and an original basic-cable series have been simultaneously offered to consumers on a free VOD basis, as opposed to such off-premium network series as Home Box Office's The Sopranos and theatricals offered for pay VOD.
'I approached [News Corp.],' Cablevision CEO James Dolan said.
He added: 'We've been talking to everybody about this kind of thing. They've all expressed interest, but Fox was the first to have the foresight and courage to step up and make this happen.'
Cablevision will make each episode of both first-year series to date available on digital immediately, adding and promoting subsequent episodes less than 24 hours after their cable or broadcast premieres.
The MSO will dedicate significant local cross-channel promos to both the May 21 finale of 24 on Fox and the June 4 season-concluder of The Shield for FX.
'Jimmy [Dolan] is a fan of the two shows,' FX president Peter Liguori said. 'And as we build to the season finale [of The Shield], this makes all of the sense in the world. From our standpoint, we certainly want the sampling.'
Said Chernin, 'It's a win-win scenario.'
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