[Satellite TODAY 09-20-10] Canadian telecom Bell has launched a new national video-on-demand service to its satellite customer base, the company announced Sept. 16.
    Bell TV On Demand will offer customers national on-demand access to select titles in 1080p HD resolution. “With today’s launch of Bell TV On Demand, Bell TV customers can now enjoy access to an ever-changing library of top HD Hollywood blockbusters – many available the same day they show up at the local video store – anytime they want,” Kevin Crull, president of Bell residential services, said in a statement. 
    The announcement concludes a busy week for the operator in the broadcast space which has seen it acquire one of Canada’s major broadcasters, as well as launch a new IPTV service to parts of Canada.   
    Bell has long been a key player in the pay-TV market in Canada, and its DTH service offers more than 100 HD channels to its customers. At the end of June, the company had 1.98 million DTH subscribers, an increase of more five percent compared to the same stage last year. It added about 10,000 TV subscribers in the three months to the end of June.
    It has been a busy few days for the operator in terms of its TV strategy. In a huge deal for the company, it announced earlier this month that it was spending $1.27 billion to acquire CTV, one of Canada’s major broadcasters. The transaction gives Bell full ownership of some of Canada’s key media assets, as it looks to enhance the growth of its TV, wireless and online services over the next few years.
     Bell currently owns a 15 percent equity position in CTV and will acquire the remaining 85 percent equity value from The Woodbridge Company, the Toronto-based holding company of the Thomson family; Ontario Teachers Pension Plan; and Torstar Corporation. Including the value of Bell’s present stake, the transaction has an equity value of $1.46 billion. Together with $1.66 billion in proportionate debt, the total transaction value is $3.12 billion. Bell said it expects the transaction to close in the middle of 2011, as it seeks regulatory approval for the deal.
    The company is also diversifying from its satellite pay-TV roots in Canada. It announced earlier this week that it was launching Bell Fibe TV, an advanced IPTV service, in several Toronto and Montréal neighborhoods. The service is delivered using the latest fiber optic technology. An all-digital IPTV service, Fibe TV is powered by Microsoft’s Mediaroom multimedia software platform, and delivered on Bell’s high-speed fiber network. The service is being offered in selected areas of Toronto and Montreal. Ultimately, Fibe TV will be available to almost five million households by the end of 2015. Bell sees Fibe TV as a new complement to its Bell TV satellite service.