Verizon Stocks VOD Shelves
On-Demand Fare For FiOS TV Includes CBS, Discovery, Smithsonian
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 3/19/2008 3:22:00 PM
Verizon Communications announced the availability of a string of new and recently added video-on-demand titles, in deals with partners including CBS, Discovery Channel, Smithsonian Channel and Ovation TV.
CBS shows now available on FiOS TV VOD include Big Brother 9, Numb3rs, CSI, Jericho, and NCIS. The partnership between Verizon and CBS Sports will also provide FiOS TV customers with on-demand highlights from the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, which begins Thursday.
Other new HD VOD offerings on FiOS TV include content from Music Choice; Howcast, which offers how-to videos for consumers; and the Discovery Channel's Planet Earth series.
"With an ever-growing list of VOD titles in both standard and high definition, FiOS TV continues to offer the largest collection of video-on-demand content in the industry, giving FiOS TV viewers a vast number of choices for their video entertainment," said Terry Denson, Verizon’s vice president of FiOS TV content and programming, in a prepared statement.
Verizon said its VOD service offers more than 10,000 titles each month, 70% of which are free.
Its HD VOD service is currently available over the FiOS TV systems in Richmond and Virginia Beach, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Burlington, Mass.; and Rhode Island. The telco said HD VOD is coming soon to all remaining FiOS TV markets. Verizon has said that it expects to increase its HD VOD titles to more than 1,000 by the end of the year.
The new NCAA March Madness programming, available in both standard- and high-definition formats, will include a daily recap of every game plus highlights and select post-game interviews and news conferences.
CBS Sports and CBS College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) will produce customized highlights of the tournament games, plus historical NCAA March Madness vignettes. The VOD content also features “March Madness Memories,” which will include moments from 25 previous championship games.
In addition to the NCAA tournament programming, Verizon is offering new sports content in FiOS TV's free VOD sports section, with more than 700 titles each month. The newest content comes from S Sports, a 24-hour digital cable network dedicated to urban and international sports programming.
