Steve, like fine wine the Liberty/Actv relationship is getting better with time.
Viewer's Choice, ACTV & Liberty Digital Join Forces to Revolutionize Pay-Per-View Programming
Thursday, November 4, 1999 05:59 AM Mail this article to a friend
NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 1999--
Groundbreaking Alliance to Bring Powerful Interactivity to Marquee Pay-Per-View Television Events
Viewer's Choice L.L.C., America's leading pay-per-view television network which will become iN DEMAND on January 1, 2000, ACTV, Inc. (NASDAQ: IATV, news, msgs), a leader in interactive digital television and pioneer of TV-Internet convergence programming, and Liberty Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: LDIG, news, msgs), a diversified new media company with investments in Internet content and infrastructure and interactive television, today announced they are joining forces to create a powerful new cable and satellite television pay-per-view programming venture.
The three companies have agreed to a long-term alliance to license and produce marquee pay-per-view sports programming and other events of national significance, and to distribute them nationwide utilizing ACTV's patented "Individualized Television" software and Viewer's Choice programming and marketing capabilities. Viewer's Choice will be the exclusive distributor of these events.
Using a standard digital set-top box and remote control, ACTV enables viewers to customize their viewing experience by seamlessly switching among multiple, real-time feeds of video, audio and data originating from the event venue. Sports viewers, for example, will be able to access isolated camera angles, in-depth statistics, instant replay on-demand, and "always on" video highlights, among many other options, all at the touch of a button on their remote control. In addition to sporting events, "Individualized Television" can enhance a variety of television genres, including music programming, news, game shows, educational children's programming, advertising, and others.
Mindy S. Herman, President and CEO of Viewer's Choice, said: "Viewer's Choice is proud to partner with ACTV and Liberty Digital to deliver this new way of watching major pay-per-view events to our affiliates' subscribers. We believe there will be strong demand to watch these events in a pay-per-view environment, and we are confident customer acceptance of this new way of customizing their television programming will grow rapidly. It will turbo-charge the ordinary remote control and give our customers a fun, intuitive and empowering new viewership tool. Once you've seen a Championship boxing match, the Olympics, a big NBA showdown, a major college basketball or football rivalry, or a headliner concert this way on Viewer's Choice, you'll never go back to old-fashioned, passive viewership."
"This is a further illustration of Liberty Digital's growing strategic relationship with ACTV, and we are very pleased to be joined by Viewer's Choice in launching this innovative business. We think it will take pay-per-view to a new level of customer interest and commercial success. Matching ACTV's exciting technology to the huge customer base and promotional expertise of Viewer's Choice is a potent combination that will be a nice fit with our portfolio of interactive investments," said Lee Masters, President and CEO of Liberty Digital.
"The ACTV functionality will give millions of pay-per-view purchasers a fun, exciting and personalized way to experience major events with more relevant content and more complete context. It gives each viewer the power to produce and customize the event, just as if that viewer were sitting in the director's chair in the production control room," said David Reese, President of ACTV, Inc.
The new alliance is founded on a long-term agreement between the parties, who plan to produce and distribute a minimum of four marquee events each year, beginning early next year depending on the licensing of suitable initial events. The scheduled events will be available for viewers to purchase and watch, as long as they have digital cable or satellite receivers that support ACTV's "Individualized Television" technology. ACTV's "Individualized Television" programming capabilities are already accessible in digital set-top terminals manufactured by General Instrument Corporation (NYSE: GIC, news, msgs), and are currently being integrated into digital set-tops manufactured by Scientific-Atlanta (NYSE: SFA, news, msgs) and Pioneer Digital Technologies.
About Viewer's Choice L.L.C.
Viewer's Choice, which will become iN DEMAND on January 1, 2000, is the nation's leading pay-per-view network, offering titles from all the major Hollywood and independent studios, plus sports and entertainment events through its 35 channel digital pay-per-view multiplex service. Viewer's Choice serves over 1,700 affiliated systems with approximately 27 million addressable households and 112 million channel subscribers nationwide. The company's five shareholders include AT&T / TCI Communications, Inc., Time Warner Entertainment - Advance/Newhouse Partnership, Comcast Programming Ventures, Inc., MediaOne of Delaware, Inc., and Cox Communications Holdings, Inc. Further information about the company can be found on the Internet at ppv.com.
About ACTV, Inc.
ACTV, Inc., is a leader in interactive digital television with its proprietary "Individualized Television" and "Individualized Advertising" software and programming capabilities. The company has also pioneered TV-Internet convergence programming with its patented HyperTV(R) software solution.
ACTV's proprietary "Individualized Television" software remembers viewer commands and responses to on-screen prompts, enabling an unlimited number of viewers to, literally, call their own shots and individually-tailor the TV program they are watching. ACTV's unique capabilities also make possible the delivery of highly-targeted addressable advertising, which enables advertisers to more effectively deliver messages to the appropriate consumers, while making television advertising more relevant to individual viewers.
ACTV offers superior, practical solutions for TV networks and programmers, advertisers, cable operators, educators, and consumers seeking to capitalize on the emergence of digital television and the broadband delivery infrastructure. The company has relationships with many of the dominant players in the Internet, television and digital technology fields, including key strategic investments from Liberty Digital and General Instrument Corporation. ACTV Entertainment and HyperTV Networks, Inc., are subsidiaries of ACTV, Inc. Visit ACTV's Web site at actv.com.
About Liberty Digital, Inc.
Liberty Digital, Inc. is a diversified new media company with investments in Internet content and infrastructure and interactive television businesses, as well as music services delivered to commercial and residential customers via cable, satellite, the Internet and other platforms. Liberty Digital holds an approximate 12% equity interest in ACTV, Inc. Exercise of additional warrants would bring Liberty Digital's stake in ACTV, Inc. to approximately 25%. Liberty Digital's Series A Common Stock is traded on the National Market tier of The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol LDIG.
CONTACT: Bratskeir & Company
Mike Rosen (for ACTV, Inc.)
212/679-2233, ext. 213
or
Viewer's Choice
Joe Boyle, 212/486-6600
or
Brainerd Communicators, Inc.
Jeff Majtyka (for Liberty Digital)
212/986-6667
Quote for referenced ticker symbols: LDIG, IATV
¸ 1999, Business Wire |
