TVNZ has announced a landmark agreement to make a selection of
US network series available on TVNZ ondemand for free
The agreement with Walt Disney Company's international TV
distribution arm, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia
Pacific), means US network series, such as the top rating
Private Practice
, will
be available on TVNZ's catch up TV service,
TVNZ
ondemand
, free of charge just 12
hours after the local telecast on TV2.
The ad-supported model marks the first time that US series
will be offered free of charge online in New Zealand and is just
the second such agreement Disney-ABC International has made in
the Asia Pacific region.
The service launched with the first season of Private Practice , which airs Mondays at 8:30pm on TV2. The first three episodes of the series will also be available online so fans can catch up on the episodes they missed on television.
All episodes will be available on TVNZ ondemand for 28 days.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Disney-ABC
International Television (Asia Pacific), Rob Gilby, says they are
delighted to be the first US studio working with TVNZ to pioneer in
this space in New Zealand.
"Today, viewers demand more flexibility and choice. Catching up
with their favourite shows online, puts viewers in charge of when
and how they watch."
Jason Paris, Head of Emerging Business for TVNZ, says the
free-to-air broadcaster is "enormously proud" to partner with
Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific) "to ensure that
TVNZ content is the most accessible of any media organisation in
New Zealand.
"The addition of these highly successful US shows will ensure that
our ondemand offering goes from strength to strength," says
Paris.
More series will follow suit later this year and next including new seasons of Eli Stone , Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Criminal Minds, Dirt, Reaper, Samantha Who?, Scrubs and October Road . Series launch dates on TVNZ ondemand will depend on the TV2's broadcast schedule.
TVNZ ondemand has proved to be extremely popular in the 18 months it has been available. Each month an average of 30,000 hours of television is watched via the free online service. The content is currently a mix of local shows, the latest news and current affairs and some selected UK and Australian titles.
