MONTREAL – Videotron has married its television and Internet services to produce a new streaming service called illico web.
The web broadband service is available free of charge to all Videotron digital television subscribers with a Videotron Internet connection. Offering access to 32 television channels and hundreds of hours of programming in French and English, the company said that it will make regular programming additions in order to expand the service into a mirror of its illico digital TV package.
Available at illicoweb.tv, the service offers similar functionality to subscription video-on-demand enabling subscribers to rewind, play, pause and review title descriptions. Subscribers will also be able to use illico web to remotely set their PVRs ensuring that they never miss a favourite show.
At the launch announcement Wednesday morning in Montreal, Videotron president and CEO Robert Dépatie described the new service as “one of the most innovative components of the technologically advanced media environment Videotron is providing for customers”.
“Digital technology lets content travel from one platform to another, making the walls between media increasingly porous,” Dépatie said in a statement. “The big advantage for consumers is that they can see, hear, read and watch what they want, when they want. We at Videotron get it: our business model hinges on our commitment to meet our customers’ expectations on this front.”
In addition to some channels from its sister company TVA, illico web also offers Astral’s pay-television services Super Ecran, The Movie Network, Mpix and HBO Canada, its specialty networks Series+, Historia, Canal Vie, Canal D, Ztélé, MusiquePlus and MusiMax, and children’s services VRAK.TV, Family Channel and the Playhouse Disney Channel.
Astral said that making its programming available on-line provides added value to its subscribers through greater choice and flexibility (Astral’s content is also available on Bell’s on-line portal).
"The launch of Astral’s channel programming on Videotron’s illico web service reflects how audiences are consuming content and will provide a legal and secure option for viewing premium movies, series and documentaries from the convenience of a computer," said Johanne Saint-Laurent, SVP of Astral Television, in a statement. "We are focused on bringing subscribers a unique entertainment proposition that is based on strong value, premium content and best-in-class technology. Illico web is an innovative solution that will enable Astral subscribers to enjoy the exclusive content that is offered by our services on an additional and complementary platform, all at no additional cost."
Stingray Digital also added its Galaxie On-line Music Player and Karaoke Channel’s video-on-demand service to illico web.
“The popularity and appreciation of the Galaxie music service continues to grow, and loyal users of Galaxie are asking for access to the service on the Internet,” said Stingray’s CEO Alexandre Taillefer, in a statement. “The number one request we get from customers is how can they listen to Galaxie when they are not close to their televisions. Now, Videotron customers can continue to listen to Galaxie, their preferred source of music, through the illico web service.”
Customers must subscribe to the channels on Videotron’s digital platform before being able to access them via the illico web platform.
– Lesley Hunter
