MONTREAL – The approximately 600,000 subscribers to Videtron’s illico Digital TV service ordered 20 million films and television programs on demand in 2006, a 100% increase over 2005, the company said in a press release.
Those numbers confirm that consumers in Videotron’s service area are embracing the new way to enjoy television and entertainment content, says a Videotron press release.
Since illico Digital TV was launched in April 2003, the customer base, the catalogue of video on demand (VOD) titles, and the number of VOD orders have all registered exponential growth. "The phenomenal growth of illico on Demand is clearly part of a global trend driven by consumer desire to watch what they want, when they want in terms of entertainment content," said Manon Brouillette, senior vice-president, marketing, content and product development at Videotron. "Video on Demand has quickly become part of people’s viewing habits because, like the Internet, it lets consumers play a more active role and take control of their entertainment choices."
The most popular titles ordered by illico Digital TV customers in 2006 included the series Le Coeur a ses raisons II, Un Homme Mort, Lance et compte – La revanche, and Occupation double, all original Québec productions first aired on TVA. The series Lance et compte I, II and III were also among the top 20 orders.
Les Boys IV was the top movie order. Several other Québec films were also among the most popular choices, including Horloge biologique, Idole instantanée and Aurore.
"It is noteworthy that the vast majority of illico on Demand orders were for original Canadian content," said Brouillette. "More than ever, our illico Digital TV VoD service is a leading showcase for Canadian and Québec culture. We intend to offer more and more exclusive original content. In fact, Videotron has been a trailblazer in this respect: we helped fund the production of Nos Étés II and Négociateur in order to bring them to the screen sooner."
Indeed, the company has been fighting for weeks to get out of paying the Canadian Television Fund in order to divert more money to its own programming. "Increasingly, people are watching television series on DVD," said Brouillette. "So viewers have welcomed illico on Demand, which offers them another way to watch what they want when they want in the comfort of their own homes."
