BBC and ITV drama and documentaries galore

 

On-demand content as early as one month after UK telecast

 

Singapore, 22 July 2009 –- Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) today announced that mio TV has added three exciting new channels and video-on-demand titles with choice UK programming to its service offering.

Granada TV – a first for Asia from ITV – is already available on Channel 23 and two on-demand channels, British Drama (Channel 318) and British Documentary (Channel 319), will premiere today. 

British Drama and British Documentary comprise a choice selection of programmes from two heavyweights in the international television arena – BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution and ITV Global Entertainment Ltd.   BBC Worldwide is Europe’s largest exporter of Television, and ITV is the biggest commercial television network in the UK.

“This is a significant and valuable addition to our stable of content and we are very pleased to be able to offer it to our customers,” said Mr Low Ka Hoe, Director, IPTV Business, Singtel. “Fans of British programming will no doubt find endless hours of entertainment with the choices on offer – which include everything from award-winning documentaries to highly-acclaimed drama series and heartwarming classics.”

 

Mr James Ross, Regional Director, ITV Global Entertainment (Asia), said: “Singtel is one of the world’s leading multimedia platforms and we are delighted to have chosen mio TV as the South East Asian launch partner for both Granada TV, and also our premium VOD programming that will see some of the best in ITV Global Entertainment drama and documentaries available to mio TV viewers shortly after their UK broadcast.”

 

This announcement coincides with mio TV’s second birthday and follows in the wake of the pay TV platform hitting its 100,000 customer milestone.

 

The British Dramachannel features some of the best drama series from the BBC and ITV, featuring award-winning actors and programmes such as Spooks, Doctor Who and Jane Eyre.  Fans of genres as wide-ranging as horror, literature and comedy will all find something that suits their fancy.

 

Titles on the channel include one of the most talked about television events of the year - teen musical drama Britannia High, Doctor Who (Series 1), Agatha Christie’s Marple and a lavish adaptation of Emily Bronte’s haunting and passionate novel Wuthering Heights (HD).

 

The British Documentarychannel showcases the best of UK’s renowned, award-winning documentaries, wildlife, science and natural history programmes from BBC, ITV and more.

 

Audiences can unravel the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, marvel at the extraordinary human body on SuperHuman and witness the last terrifying moments of Pompeii as its inhabitants were caught in a volcanic death trap.

 

Both channels are available on-demand, and customers can subscribe to the channels on a monthly basis and watch the episodes at their leisure. 

 

Now also available on an a-la-carte basis is a selection of on-demand programmes from BBC and ITV, some as recent as one month after their UK telecast. BBC and ITV are two of the world's largest producers of documentaries, and the latest iconic documentaries from BBC such as Nature’s Great Event will be available in high-definition (HD).

“There has been strong indication from our customers that many of them prefer content to be delivered on-demand,” said Mr Low. “In light of this, we are very pleased to be introducing these two new on-demand channels and video-on-demand titles. Their wide array of compelling dramas and documentaries from two of the most prominent producers in the world is certain to find many fans.”   

 

Granada TV is a brand new linear entertainment channel for Asia.  Drawing on the vast resources of the ITV Global Entertainment programming library, the channel offers viewers a hit combination of contemporary dramas, comedies, cutting-edge reality and the best in talk and entertainment shows.

 

How to Subscribe

Current mio TV subscribers can subscribe to the new channels directly by using the mio TV on-screen menu or by contacting the Singtel Hotline at 1800 555 6000 from Monday to Saturday, 8.00am to 6.00pm. For new subscribers, sign-ups for mio TV services are available at any Singtel Retail Store or at Singtel exclusive retailers.

 

British Drama and British Documentary are priced at $8.56/month or $6.42 on a 12-monthly basis.  Granada TV is available at $6.42/month or $5.35/month on a 12-monthly basis.  The channels are also available as part of the SuperSaver English Pack at $19.90 per month without any additional increase in the monthly subscription fee. Video-on-demand titles are available at $1.99 per episode.

 

mio TV’s SuperSaver English Pack includes 21 channels for only $19.90 per month. The pack contains entertainment options that the whole family will enjoy – including lifestyle, news, education, music options as well as programmes for babies and children.

 

 

About BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution

Voted 'Best Distributor' by its peers (Broadcast Distributor Survey 2008)

BBC Worldwide's Sales & Distribution business is Europe's most successful exporter of television programmes, accounting for around half of the UK's total television exports. The business manages the annual BBC Showcase festival, a shop window for the best of British programming, attracting broadcasters from across the globe. In 2008/9, BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution generated over £231million of programme sales and co production investment around the world.

 

About ITV Global Entertainment

ITV Global Entertainment Ltd is one of the world’s leading international TV distribution, home-entertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing businesses. It proudly represents a world-class portfolio from ITV Studios, Granada and over 200 leading independent producers. Showcasing more than 40,000 hours of critically celebrated and hugely-popular original and formatted programming, including all new Hell’s Kitchen, Come Dine with Me, Dancing on Ice, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, The Colour of Money, Coronation Street, Agatha Christie’s Marple and Poirot, Morse, Prime Suspect and the highly anticipated The Prisoner. Based in London, Cologne, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, ITV Global Entertainment is an integrated part of ITV Global Content, led by Lee Bartlett, Managing Director.

 

About mio TV

mio TV is the innovative digital pay TV service offering from Singtel. Launched in July 2007, the service offers customers value and full flexibility to watch what they want, when they want. Within two years, mio TV has signed up over 100,000 customers.

 

Currently, mio TV offers a total of 64 channels, of which 21 are on-demand channels. Content on mio TV covers a wide range of genres as well as Singapore’s largest range of video-on-demand titles and High Definition content.