November 4, 1999 9:44am
Viewer's Choice, ACTV, Liberty in pay TV venture
Reuters
NEW YORK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Pay-per-view network Viewer's Choice LLC is forming a joint venture with ACTV Inc. <IATV.O> and Liberty Digital Inc. <LDIG.O> to bring viewers interactive features like instant replays or statistics, the companies said on Thursday.
ACTV, which develops technology that combines the Internet with television, and Liberty Digital, an ACTV shareholder, will bring ACTV's interactive products to at least four events on Viewer's Choice, one of the largest pay-per-view programmers. Liberty Digital is the Internet investments vehicle for AT&T Corp.'s <T.N> cable television programming arm, Liberty Media Group <LMGa.N>.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
ACTV's technology will allow viewers to switch between different video, audio and data feeds for a single program.
Using a standard digital set-top box and remote control, viewers of sports events, for example, will be able to access isolated camera angles, statistics, instant replay on demand and highlights.
"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.
Internet investment company Liberty Digital owns a 12 percent stake in ACTV, as well as stakes in MTV Networks Online, priceline.com and drugstore.com.
The agreement calls for the joint venture to license a minimum of four events, beginning early next year depending on licensing of "suitable initial events," the companies said in a statement. Viewer's Choice will be the exclusive distributor of these events.
"Liberty Digital brings programming expertise to the table through its ties with Liberty Media," an ACTV spokesman said.
The events will be available with the new interactive features to viewers with digital cable or satellite receivers that support ACTV's software.
ACTV software, called "Individualized Television," is already installed in set-top boxes made by General Instrument Corp. <GIC.N> and will be installed in futre set-top boxes made by Scientific-Atlanta Inc. <SFA.N> and Pioneer Digital Technologies. Cable companies can enable the software from a remote location.
((Derek Caney, New York Wired desk, 212-859-1860))
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