MONTREAL – Radio-Canada’s ICI Tou.tv is launching a new premium service called Extra, in collaboration with Rogers and Telus who are offering it free to their wireless customers.
The French-language online video on-demand service currently offers 1,200 titles free as part of its basic entertainment service for Canadians. The soon-to-be-launched Extra will be home to a selection of over 400 new French titles, including series Top of the Lake, known in French as Au bout du lac (2014 Golden Globe nominee for best miniseries, starring Elisabeth Moss, winner for best actress), and Spiral, known in French as Engrenages (International Emmy nominee for best drama series, 2011). Extra pledged to add new series to its catalogue every month.
Rogers and Telus consumer postpaid customers can enjoy both the basic service and Extra on ICI Tou.tv on the device of their choice at no extra charge. The Extra specialty offering will be available for a monthly subscription from select other wireless providers.
“Radio-Canada is delighted with this collaboration, which consolidates our leadership in a rapidly expanding market”, said Marie-Philippe Bouchard, Radio-Canada’s general manager of music and digital services, in the press release. “The agreement will help diversify our revenue and take ICI Tou.tv to a new level. It shows our desire to offer ever-greater choice in an enhanced service that keeps pace with changing TV viewing habits."
"This agreement represents much more than a simple collaboration for us. It is an opportunity to provide all our francophone subscribers, across Canada, access to quality French content, on the screen of their choice”, added Sylvain Roy, president Quebec, Rogers Communications.
"With this new agreement, we are reinventing our business model to offer the most popular web French content in Canada, including the new Extra selection, free of charge”, said Clément Audet, Telus Quebec vice president, consumer market. “Our customers will be able to enjoy a multiplatform experience as they watch ICI Tou.tv content, whether on Télé Optik, the web or mobile devices, thanks to the country's most reliable 4G LTE network."
ICI Tou.tv has recorded over 138 million video views since its launch in January 2010. Mobile views on the platform jumped 44% between 2012 and 2013 (data for iOS and mobile site only).
