TNT-Broadcasting Network Launches ‘Now.Ru’ Video-On-Demand Platform In Russia With Programming From Warner Bros. Entertainment
(March 11, 2011 – Moscow, Russia and Burbank, CA) – Gazprom-Media Holding and TNT-Broadcasting Network have launched a new video-on-demand platform (now.ru) in Russia featuring content from WarnerTV, Warner Bros. International Branded Services’ subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) branded service. The joint announcement was made today by Katherina Mironova (Deputy CEO, CJSC “NOW”) and Malcolm Dudley-Smith (Executive Vice President–Business Management ).
The deal marks the first launch of the WarnerTV branded service in Russia, and extends the on-going relationship between TNT-Broadcasting Network and Warner Bros International Television Distribution who have an existing programming output deal for TNT-Broadcasting Network’s linear TV channels.
The WarnerTV branded service will offer around-the-clock, on-demand access to hit television series and blockbuster motion pictures from Warner Bros. Entertainment. There will be more than 500 episodes each year of drama, comedy and sci-fi television series on the service. Programs featured on WarnerTV include “Friends,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Gossip Girl,” “Supernatural” and “Smallville,” among others.
WarnerTV will also include a slate of more than 110 theatrical motion pictures per year, including such worldwide hits as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” “The Matrix,” “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Shining” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, among others.
“We are extremely happy to be partnering with Gazprom-Media Holding and TNT-Broadcasting Network to bring WarnerTV to Russia,” said Malcolm Dudley-Smith, Executive Vice President–Business Management, Warner Bros. International Branded Services. “We believe that our world class motion pictures and popular TV series, combined with this new entertainment platform, will give customers compelling new levels of choice, convenience and control.”
“While Video On Demand on the Internet is a relatively young business, the pace of development of broadband access in Russia lets us hope that in 2-3 year time viewing of feature-length videos on the Internet will be as common as watching TV or DVD today. This gives us a big chance with NOW.ru. It seems to us that it is much easier to combat piracy on the Internet than to defeat the street-vendor pirates who sell unlicensed disks. We know that the number of people and companies losing money as a result of piracy on the Internet is much higher than that of those who profit from it. This gives us reason to believe that the piracy volume will be decreasing in the upcoming years and we will be contributing to this process.”
Roman Petrenko, CEO of TNT-Broadcasting Network “In Russia the web offers lots of sites, where one could watch legal videos, but there’s not a single one that would bring together the leading producers and manufacturers of movie content to such an extent. Having brought together all the best of what television could offer, www.NOW.ru gives users a huge selection of content in combination with modest prices and high quality picture.”
Katherina Mironova, Deputy CEO of NOW (now.ru) “The breathtaking speed of Internet development is well known. Gazprom-Media as the largest media holding in Russia cannot stay on the sidelines and together with NOW.ru we are ready to go the distance.”
Nikolai Senkevich, CEO of Gazprom-Media The now.ru subscription service including WarnerTV series and films will be available for a monthly subscription of 499 rubles per month. About Warner Bros. International Branded Services: Warner Bros. International Branded Services launches and operates linear, video-on-demand and mobile branded programming services — including subscription-based (SVOD) and free (FVOD) offerings — around the world, featuring programming from Warner Bros. Entertainment. The company’s WarnerTV on-demand services have previously launched with more than 40 providers in over 20 countries, including Top Up TV, Talk Talk TV, Virgin Media and BT Vision in the U.K.; FASTWEB in Italy; Videoload and Maxdome in Germany; Imagenio in Spain; Telekom Austria in Austria; Elisa in Finland; Ziggo in the Netherlands; vod.onet.pl in Poland; Free in France; J:COM and USEN Corporation’s GyaO in Japan; and QOOK TV in Korea, among others. The WarnerFilms SVOD service, exclusively featuring theatrical motion pictures from the Studio, has launched in the UK on both BT Vision and LOVEFiLM, and in Finland on the Elisa platform. Additionally, Warner Bros. International Branded Services operates the highly successful linear Warner Channel throughout Latin America, debuted WB India in 2009, and has launched a WarnerTV-branded 24-hour, linear general entertainment channel throughout Asia.###
Roman Petrenko, CEO of TNT-Broadcasting Network “In Russia the web offers lots of sites, where one could watch legal videos, but there’s not a single one that would bring together the leading producers and manufacturers of movie content to such an extent. Having brought together all the best of what television could offer, www.NOW.ru gives users a huge selection of content in combination with modest prices and high quality picture.”
Katherina Mironova, Deputy CEO of NOW (now.ru) “The breathtaking speed of Internet development is well known. Gazprom-Media as the largest media holding in Russia cannot stay on the sidelines and together with NOW.ru we are ready to go the distance.”
Nikolai Senkevich, CEO of Gazprom-Media The now.ru subscription service including WarnerTV series and films will be available for a monthly subscription of 499 rubles per month. About Warner Bros. International Branded Services: Warner Bros. International Branded Services launches and operates linear, video-on-demand and mobile branded programming services — including subscription-based (SVOD) and free (FVOD) offerings — around the world, featuring programming from Warner Bros. Entertainment. The company’s WarnerTV on-demand services have previously launched with more than 40 providers in over 20 countries, including Top Up TV, Talk Talk TV, Virgin Media and BT Vision in the U.K.; FASTWEB in Italy; Videoload and Maxdome in Germany; Imagenio in Spain; Telekom Austria in Austria; Elisa in Finland; Ziggo in the Netherlands; vod.onet.pl in Poland; Free in France; J:COM and USEN Corporation’s GyaO in Japan; and QOOK TV in Korea, among others. The WarnerFilms SVOD service, exclusively featuring theatrical motion pictures from the Studio, has launched in the UK on both BT Vision and LOVEFiLM, and in Finland on the Elisa platform. Additionally, Warner Bros. International Branded Services operates the highly successful linear Warner Channel throughout Latin America, debuted WB India in 2009, and has launched a WarnerTV-branded 24-hour, linear general entertainment channel throughout Asia.