Etan Vlessing reports in today’s Hollywood Reporter that Canada is getting Hulu, only here it will be called Rogers On Demand Online. Catchy.
The face of Hulu in Canada is Rogers On Demand Online, an ad-supported online video service from cable giant Rogers Communications to launch nationwide on Nov. 30.
Canadians are currently blocked from watching Hulu due to licensing issues. So Toronto-based Rogers is to launch its broadband portal as an online extension of its local and Hollywood TV and movie content to its 2.3 million cable subscribers.
Rogers hasn’t exactly set itself apart as a consumer centred company, so the fact that this will be their initiative puts a bit of damper on what should be good news.
First up, only Rogers-owned channels for Rogers cable customers — yes that’s right, not free to everyone:
Rogers will offer its cable and high-speed Internet subscribers access online to an initial 15 channels which it owns in whole or partly, including Citytv, Rogers Sportsnet, A&E Canada, Bio and G4 Canada.
Cable TV subscribers will be able to watch the broadband content anywhere in Canada where their computer can access the Internet after user authentication.
I’m really looking for to that user authentication process. Of all the negative things its possible to say about Rogers, their user interfacesmay rank up there in the top 3 worst things about the company.
The business model they’ve chosen for this sounds lame:
The Canadian cabler chose to make the video portal entirely ad-supported and offer no stand-alone subscription for viewing current TV series, library shows and movies untethered to a TV set or VOD platform.
The programming content will be based on current cable subscriptions.
The content I’m already paying for through my cable bill will now be available to me online, which is great, but I’ll have to wade through ads to get to it. Why ads? Aren’t I already paying for this content?
The cable operator intends to negotiate with content providers to either sell ads for shows featured on the portal, allow broadcast groups to sell ads on their own, or provide a hybrid service where Rogers sells unsold inventory.
And Canadians will not be able to skip ads on the Rogers video portal, as they can on PVRs.
Sigh.
One step forward, two steps back.
PJ
Canada Doesn’t Get Hulu
FTFY.
admin
Yes you did.
Robbo
Park this alongside the current broadcaster vs. cable arguments before the CRTC and the self important noises Murdoch is making about delisting his media outlets from Google.
The backward desire to exert control over content by creating portals or gated communities is doomed to failure. Attempts to isolate, control and charge for content – desperately craving the scarcity business model of yesteryear – will only serve to drive away any potential audience into the arms of more responsive, immediate, accessible and even free alternatives.
The drag for Canadians is the monopoly which our major ISP’s (Bell, Rogers et al) enjoy in this country and the smug sense of ownership and entitlement they carry with them. By dragging their feet on innovation, neglecting to invest in infrastructure and colluding on delaying implementation of the emerging abilities within the net only serves to delay the inevitable and deny us access to both content and opportunity afforded to others beyond our borders.
Change will come – but in trudging down the path worn bare by their greedy feet of clay Rogers and all the other backward thinking dinosaurs will only manage to guarantee becoming the biggest losers as the rest of the world passes them by.
Personally, I already enjoy Hulu and many other geo-blocked services without much hassle. To quote the character Mr. Universe from Joss Whedon’s film Serenity: “You can’t stop the signal, Mal.”
Let them play their silly games. The net marches on.
Cheers.
reidjr
Robbo
First offering a online serive is not backwords thinking.They have this type of serive in the uk and a few are launching in the states in the comming weeks.I don’t think this will drive customers away anything it will keep them.