The video-on-demand future of TVN Entertainment Corp. brightened significantly this week after the company announced it will aggregate and distribute VOD fare for Verizon ‘s fiber-based “FiOS” TV service.
Verizon, which expects to pass 3 million homes with fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) technology by the end of 2005, plans to launch video services later this year using a cable-looking RF video overlay.
Under the deal, TVN will provide Verizon with a range of on-demand programming, including new studio releases, older titles, and family and kids content. Financial terms of the “long-term” agreement were not disclosed.
Terry Denson, VP of marketing and programming for Verizon FiOS TV, said the service, thanks to TVN’s content portfolio, will offer “thousands” of hours of VOD programming.
In addition to content, Verizon also plans to tap “TVNow,” a platform designed to turnaround news and events into VOD format in a matter of hours.
The deal marks TVN’s first deal with a major telco. The company also has relationships with cable operators such as Adelphia Communications, Cablevision Systems Corp., Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, and Insight Communications, among others.