New York, NY, January 16, 2001 - A&E Television Networks
and Intertainer, the entertainment on demand broadband network, have
signed a comprehensive agreement that will make AETN's programs available
via video on demand for the first time. Beginning in February, selected
programming including series, specials and original movies from A&E
and The History Channel will be available on a pay per view basis
on both Intertainer's digital cable VOD platform and its Intertainer.tv
broadband Internet VOD platform.
According to the agreement, A&E Television Networks
will supply Intertainer with selected original programming from its
extensive library of content, as well as new episodes of current series
and upcoming movies and specials. The two companies will also work
together to produce interactive content that will allow viewers to
delve deeper into the program for more information, as well as take
advantage of e-commerce opportunities.
"We've taken a very deliberate approach to VOD because
we felt it was important to find a partner that is committed to showcasing
quality programming and who could deliver our content across multiple
platforms to maximize our brand exposure," said David Zagin, Senior
Vice President, Affiliate Sales, A&E Television Networks. "With its
unsurpassed content partnerships and ability to leverage cross-promotional
opportunities across its Internet and digital cable products, Intertainer
is clearly the leader in this space."
"With seminal cable programming such as the BIOGRAPHY®
series on A&E, History's Mysteries from The History Channel, and much
more under the A&E Television Networks banner, we know that this content
will be a huge hit with our viewers," said Mark Sonnenberg, Intertainer
Executive Vice President, Content & Marketing.
A&E Television Networks, a joint venture of The Hearst
Corporation, ABC, Inc. and NBC, is an award-winning, international
media company offering consumers a diverse communications environment
ranging from television programming, magazine publishing, web sites,
books, music CDs to home videos/DVDs, as well as supporting nationwide
educational initiatives. A&E Television Networks is comprised of A&E
Network, The History Channel, The Biography Channel, History International,
AETN Consumer Products, AETN International and AETN Interactive. The
A&E web site is located at www.AandE.com
and The History Channel web site is located at www.HistoryChannel.com.
About Intertainer
Intertainer (www.intertainer.com)
delivers the largest selection of movies, music videos, television
and shopping on-demand to your PC or TV. The service features content
from unprecedented partner relationships including Universal Pictures,
Warner Bros., Disney, DreamWorks SKG, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony,
Miramax, New Line Cinema, NBC, Discovery, HGTV, ESPN, Pearson Television,
Warner Music, EMI Music, Sony Music and many others. Enhanced TV functionality,
interactive advertising, e-commerce opportunities and personalization
features round out the Intertainer experience. Strategic partners
include Comcast, Intel, Microsoft, NBC, Sony and Qwest.