4oD to launch on Play Station 3

15 December 2010

Channel 4 today announced a deal to make 4oD, its video-on-demand platform, one of the first commercial broadcasters to launch on Sony's PlayStation®3 console. 

Under the terms of the deal Channel 4 will make a wide selection of its popular 4oD content available on internet connected PS3TM's.  Programmes including Peep Show, Hollyoaks and Coppers will be available on the platform free-of-charge supported by advertising. 

From 14th December 2010, 4oD will have a branded presence on PS3 and Channel 4 will sell the advertising around its content.  The deal will create significant value for Channel 4 and its independent production partners, generating additional revenue to invest in creating high quality, original content.  The service will launch with 4oD's catch-up content with plans to launch hundreds of hours of archived content in the New Year. 

To support 4oD on PlayStation 3, Channel 4 has signed up EA as a launch partner for the first four months.  EA will have a logo and pre-roll presence on every 4oD stream and each month a different EA game will be promoted.  The service will launch with EA Sports Active and will be followed by Dead Space 2 in January.  Michael Thomas, of The Entertainment Division at MediaCom, brokered the deal with Channel 4.

Sarah Rose, Director of Commercial & Business Development at Channel 4, said: "Channel 4 was the first broadcaster anywhere in the world to make all its commissioned content available online.  We have consistently led the way in on-demand viewing and our agreement with PS3 reflects our long-term strategy of distributing 4oD content across multiple platforms and devices that our relevant to our audience.  We believe making our programmes directly accessible to PS3's almost 4 million UK users will drive incremental audience for 4oD, financially benefit both Channel 4 and our independent production partners and help bolster our investment in quality British content."

‘The most natural place to watch catch-up TV is in the living room - so 4oD via PS3 connected both to broadband and to the family TV is absolutely the right fit." said Ray Maguire, MD of Sony Computer Entertainment UK. "Both Channel 4 and PlayStation are brands with a proven track record of success and innovation in this field and I am confident that PlayStation gamers will embrace the partnership enthusiastically".

Channel 4 was the first broadcaster to launch a video-on-demand service in 2006 and has consistently been a pioneer in VOD becoming the first UK broadcaster to make all its archived content available online free of charge in July last year.  4oD is the UK's leading commercial VOD platform and is also available online via YouTube, Seesaw and iTunes and is available on TV platforms via Virgin Media, BT Vision and TalkTalk.

 

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