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Bell Media Launches CraveTV Streaming Service

166K views 552 replies 105 participants last post by  Dr.Dave 
#1 · (Edited)
Bell Media announced today it will soon launch a new video streaming service devoted exclusively to the best content on television. From the company with more than a decade of leadership delivering Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed television programming across the Pay, Specialty, and Network TV landscapes, the on-demand subscription service, currently code-named "Project Latte", will feature thousands of hours of content representing TV's top premium brands including, it was confirmed today, HBO. With content from all key Hollywood major and independent studios, "Project Latte" does not duplicate existing services, but instead features additive and exclusive programming.

Now available to every TV provider in Canada, "Project Latte" is designed to enhance the value of the subscription television ecosystem. "Project Latte" will therefore be made available to all TV subscribers in the country, pending agreements with participating TV providers, on their traditional set-top box, as well as via mobile apps, the web, and other platforms including game consoles and Smart TVs. Additional details will be announced in the weeks to come.

"We built Project Latte as a complementary service that will delight and amaze viewers with thousands of hours of premium entertainment available on-demand and on the device of their choice," said Kevin Crull, President, Bell Media. "Project Latte addresses a significant gap in the Canadian TV system and allows TV providers to greatly enhance the value they provide to their clients. We are incredibly excited about the potential for this product and how it fits into our overall portfolio of Canada's best television brands and programs."

"If you like TV, you will love Project Latte's program lineup," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, Bell Media. "Our singular focus on TV series, along with our established studio relationships in Hollywood and beyond, means we are uniquely positioned and hyper-focused on delivering the best TV programs to the most-devoted TV lovers. While our extensive HBO deal is a game-changer and instantly makes us a viewer favourite, HBO content comprises only 10% of our planned inventory at launch. Stay tuned as Project Latte's complete lineup is revealed in the weeks to come."

HBO is the first of many world-class content partners announced for "Project Latte", which, further to Bell Media's previously announced agreement, will be the Canadian home of the entire off-air library of HBO's iconic programming catalogue. As confirmed today, "Project Latte" will feature the entire HBO scripted library, featuring some of the most-celebrated television programming of all time. In addition to THE SOPRANOS and SEX AND THE CITY, additional Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning HBO classic series to be available on "Project Latte" include SIX FEET UNDER, BAND OF BROTHERS, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, BIG LOVE, ENTOURAGE, OZ, IN TREATMENT, HUNG, ROME, and DEADWOOD, among others. "Project Latte" will also feature creator David Simon's newly re-mastered version of THE WIRE, which will be presented in HD for the first time.

"Project Latte" will also showcase the complete HBO Films catalogue of nearly 100 titles that have been the recipients of countless Academy®, Golden Globe, Peabody, and Emmy Awards, as well as the Palme d'Or and other film festival accolades. Among the selections are ELEPHANT, AMERICAN SPLENDOUR, BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, GAME CHANGE, TEMPLE GRANDIN, CONSPIRACY, THE GATHERING STORM, THE NORMAL HEART, and GREY GARDENS.

As well, "Project Latte" is the home to more than 150 titles from the HBO Documentaries library, including Academy Award-nominated 4 LITTLE GIRLS, the Emmy and Peabody award-winning WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS, SIX BY SONDHEIM, and the recent festival favourite SEDUCED AND ABANDONED.

Finally, "Project Latte" will exclusively feature HBO's lineup of close to 160 iconic stand-up comedy specials featuring some of the biggest names in comedy of all time, including George Carlin, Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Maher, Dennis Miller, Louis C.K., Sarah Silverman, Margaret Cho, and more.

About "Project Latte"
Created for TV lovers and devoted exclusively to television, "Project Latte" is Canada's premium subscription on-demand service, providing the most robust lineup of hit television content in the country. From TV's most-acclaimed dramas and beloved comedies to documentaries, music, and factual programming, "Project Latte" will feature more than 10,000 hours of non-kids TV programming, with more than 350 unique TV titles. Designed to complement traditional television, the video service gives viewers the ability to watch thousands of hours of hit past and present TV series. Available to all TV providers, "Project Latte" will be delivered via set-top box, apps, online, and other platforms. "Project Latte" is from Bell Media, Canada's premier multi-media company.
Press Release.

EDIT: Here's the official launch announcement for CraveTV: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=2357225
FAQs: www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=2363673
 
#29 ·
Exclusive content deals are nothing new in this day and age. I am sure there are more than a few PS4'ers that wish Halo was on that platform. This stuff is no different. Exclusive content deals help to entice customers. Competition is a good thing. Since when is Amazon streaming in this country?
 
#30 ·
We are not talking about upstarts battling giants here. Amazon, Netflix, Rogers, Shaw and Bell are all very large, very well established companies that are spending big money to gain and retain market share. Exclusive content deals are bad for consumers. They are being used by gigantic corporations to guarantee that they all get paid the maximum amount possible and to prevent competition from more competitive upstarts (like Netflix.) They simply don't want consumers to have a choice. The driving force behind this is large studio interests that want to control the entire entertainment business and eliminate all forms of competition.

Unlike B&M stores, where consumers had a choice of where to rent DVDs, there is simply no choice of where to obtain exclusive streamed content. It's like going back 50 years, when there was only one store to buy a particular brand or product and you had to pay their price and agree to their terms. Sure, there was another store down the street but they had their own products at similarly inflated prices and similarly restrictive terms.

Think IBM vs. Microsoft (younger people may have to ask an old guy like me or do some research )
By the time MS and IBM became competitors, they were both very large businesses. MS actually took down IBM be partnering with them and doing a better job of marketing. A more fitting analogy would be IBM vs DEC. It was the upstart mini-computer maker DEC that took over dominant market share from IBM. What we are seeing in the video streaming market these days is not so much upstarts trying to compete but large, well established companies fighting over a piece of the new video streaming industry that was created by Netflix. The analogy there would be the likes of Comcast or Rogers cable vs Netflix.
 
#31 ·
ExDilbert when you have the likes of Shomi, Latte, Netflix all bidding to put shows on their platforms not competition? If anything these two new services have now given consumers more options not less. Large studios are not creating these services, BDUs in Canada are innovating as a result of the Netflix competition.

P.S. Currently watching Defiance Syfy original only available on Shomi in Canada! ;) Pretty awesome for this consumer! ;)
 
#38 ·
If it's exclusively in one place, that's not choice.

What we have is an illusion of choice, where A is only from X, B is only from Y, and C is only from Z. The "choice" is only in if you want to watch A or not.

This is the same flawed idea that led people to think that having 500 channel was "good for consumers." You call the wasteland that is most TV channels these days good? I sure don't. It's 25 channels worth of content spread out across ten times more channels, so most of them are just reruns or the cheapest junk they can possibly find, with the goal of being bundled with a more popular channel.

Yep, what an awesome "choice"!

Exclusives are always bad for consumers. The Halo example is the same, that was Microsoft spending massive amounts of money from their Windows/Office divisions to buy the rights to try and sell Xboxes. That wasn't good for anybody except Microsoft. You might note how Bungie is now free of that deal and not making exclusives anymore?

(In fact, nothing in the console world is exclusive anymore unless the developer or publisher is paid to make it that way, because it doesn't make sense to limit yourself to one platform in an era without an overwhelmingly dominant one and where cross platform development is easier than ever.)
 
#34 ·
Exclusive content may be a way to attract customers that "must" have that particular content, but trying to have the most content (regardless of whether it can be found elsewhere or not) would also attract customers. A similar choice is available to content producers - try for the big money exclusive deal, or try to make your product as widely available as possible so you get a royalty from every streaming service, not just one.

It is certainly unfortunate for the consumer that most producers and distributors are going the exclusive route rather than the get it licensed everywhere / license everything route. I think it is also bad for the distributors who may get shoehorned into niche markets, and for producers who will have smaller potential audiences for their shows.
 
#36 ·
Titanium48, you are right, a supplier could go with the quantity method, rather than aiming for exclusive content. The problem with that is that when that happens with more than one supplier, their product will end up being a commodity, with very few differences between competitors. Then the only thing left to compete on is price.

While that may appear to be good for the consumer, I think it tends to reduce development and eventually we end up with what we have now in the ISP market -- no real difference between providers and they all know that. So eventually they start raising prices in unison. Same for the retail gasoline market in Canada. the companies don't do a good job of differentiating their product from their competitor's product so we go wherever the price is better and the result is that the price is the same.

Exclusive contracts allow the providers to differentiate themselves and, hopefully, target specific markets (serving those better) and continue development.

Finally, in a free market system (which I hope the OTT market will continue to be), if a content supplier and a content distributor want to enter into an exclusive contract, they should have every right to do so. The market will, in the end, decide if it a good thing or a bad thing for them to do. The government should not be stepping in to decide. Let's remember that this is not a life sustaining substance we are talking about, it is just entertainment.
 
#39 ·
MANHATTAN, DEADBEAT and BOSCH to Launch as First “Exclusives” for Project Latte

Bell Media announced today that it has secured MANHATTAN in its first Canadian window from Lionsgate for its new subscription on-demand video streaming service, code-named “Project Latte”. A tent-pole series immediately available at launch, MANHATTAN becomes the first “Project Latte Exclusive” – TV series that will only be available to “Project Latte” subscribers.

The acclaimed drama will be joined in subsequent months by the comedy series DEADBEAT, also from Lionsgate; the crime thriller BOSCH, from Red Arrow International; and additional series, as “Project Latte Exclusives.” Canada’s premium TV streaming service, “Project Latte” will launch later this year.

Full Press Release.
 
#44 ·
ExDilbert when you have the likes of Shomi, Latte, Netflix all bidding to put shows on their platforms not competition? If anything these two new services have now given consumers more options not less. Large studios are not creating these services, BDUs in Canada are innovating as a result of the Netflix competition.
That's not market competition. It's controlled supply which acts in the reverse. Market competition is when two or more producers (who are not in collusion) have the same product and consumers make the choice. The large studios may not deliver the content to consumers but they control the supply in ways that drives up prices. Forcing BDUs to bid for exclusive content is one way to do that. That is good for studios but bad for consumers. I doubt it's much of a coincidence that Bell bought Astral and leveraged HBO Canada's position to obtain an exclusive deal for HBO content. Bell's purchase of Astral must be paid by for someone and that's almost always the consumer. The HBO deal was probably also very expensive for Bell. Canadian consumers will end up picking up the tab. I expect that once Bell's Latte and Rogers/Shaw's Shomi obtain dominant market share, prices will rise dramatically.
 
#46 ·
That's not market competition. It's controlled supply which acts in the reverse.
One of the key factors required for competition is property rights. What bothers me about your position is that you seem to want everything to be in favour of the consumer by removing property rights of the producer.

If I produce something, I should be permitted to decide how I want to sell what I have created. If I decide to make an exclusive deal for my product that is my choice. You as a consumer, can choose not to buy through the supplier I have made my deal with and in the end, you won't have my product and I won't have your money.

Further, as distributor, I can choose to enter into a deal with a supplier that is an exclusive. Once again, you as a consumer have a choice to purchase or not to purchase.

Let's be clear, this happens in the market place regularly. And as I mentioned earlier, SVOD is not a life sustaining product that requires special rules.

Do you believe that NetFlix should be required to licence Orange is the New Black to all other SVOD services to be released at the same time it is released on NetFlix? If not, what makes that situation different? Would this not ruin what you refer to a "market competition"?

The government, through the CRTC, has managed to destroy any kind of real competition of any business that it can fit into its regulatory regime. Let's not have that happen to the OTT services.

@ecarlino016: For the record, I have no affection or affiliation with Bell, Telus, Rogers, or Shaw. I don't even have a mutual fund that owns their shares. (BTW, did you mean nonpartisan rather than bipartisan?)
 
#47 ·
I don't have a huge problem with exclusive deals with streaming services. It will be annoying when there are too many of them, but whatever will be will be (queue Doris Day..)

What I have a problem with is using these exclusive deals to force people in to also paying for an expensive cable or satellite subscription to reduce cord cutting. I also have a problem with making these services technically difficult to watch on the big screen without a cable/sat STB. I have a problem with the big guys using these services to artificially prop up their other offerings. I have a problem with them using the massive profits to shut out innovative players by buying up the content rights. I have a problem with them using internet bandwidth caps that don't apply to their own services to make other offerings less appealing.

Mark
 
#61 ·
I don't have a huge problem with exclusive deals with streaming services. ...

... I have a problem with them using the massive profits to shut out innovative players by buying up the content rights. I have a problem with them using internet bandwidth caps that don't apply to their own services to make other offerings less appealing...
Yes, putting aside discussion of the Freidman "Chicago School" of free market economic theory for now (other than to say it really only applies to true free market systems not dominated by an oligopoly), these Latte and Shomi exclusive deals seem to be less about bragging rights for the most content, and more about making sure that this content is not available to Netflix.

The content owners/distributors (who are the same) have a vested interest in slowing innovation that threaten their current revenue streams.
 
#48 ·
@Jaxon, you are completely correct.....that should be nonpartisan.

I find this dedicated content issue similar to my recent experience of buying a car.
I could choose a Manufacturer A or Manufacturer B but if I was interested in apple's iconnect bluetooth link and that was a dedicated offering to Manufacturer A then that eliminates Manufacturer B from my choice.

A more competetive landscape would be to offer iconnect with both manufacturers. And the issue is not with the producer. In this case its apple.....its advantageous to deal with all the manufacturers. The problem is the distributors wont play fair.

EC
 
#49 ·
Part of the competitive process is to differentiate your product from your competition's product. Offering iConnect or OnStar or Microsoft's product (Lync?) is one way to do that. Having exclusive rights to a program is how the SVOD providers can differentiate their products.
 
#50 ·
SVOD products could also be differentiated by the nature of the user interface, integration with HTPC software and third party TV boxes, picture and audio quality relative to bitrate, and of course price and pricing model.
I find it unfortunate that they have chosen to compete on content instead, although I agree with Jaxon9032 that regulation is not the answer. If Bell follows Netflix and shomi's lead on pricing and standalone availability the three together would provide a good variety of content at a reasonable total cost. If Bell's service is overpriced or requires bundling with other services I guess I'll just have to live without that content ;)
 
#52 ·
jaxon9032, you are correct about the definition of competition. However, major studios, Canadian broadcasters and Canadian BDUs act as an oligopoly that approaches a cartel in several respects. As such, Latte's agreement with HBO is highly suspect. On the one hand I am happy to see the launch of Latte and and the availability of HBO content. On the other, I am extremely unhappy that Bell acquired Astral and all HBO content. As such, HBO content becomes part of the broadcasting oligopoly that exists in Canada. If Astral had remained independent and launched its own streaming service, separate from Latte, I would be much happier. If HBO had made its US streaming service available to Canadians, I would have been even happier still.
 
#54 ·
Latte, Shomi and Netflix compete in the sense that they all provide streaming video services. However, major studios act as a cartel for the supply of video content and Bell, Rogers and Shaw (and their respective regional counterparts) act as an oligopoly. Since it is offered by Bell, Latte is part of that oligopoly. This affects independent companies like Netflix since they have difficulty competing due to the difficulty of obtaining content rights in Canada.

The main advantage to streaming services is that they have a lower entry cost. However, the content they offer reflects the lower price. Premium, first run content is still tied to a high priced BDU subscription. At first glance, Latte may appear to be a good deal. For 90% of Canadians with BDU subscriptions, the reality is that it will become an extra cost add-on package.
 
#55 ·
Bell Media Strikes Lightning in "Project Latte" Deal For ARROW and THE FLASH

Bell Media announced an exclusive streaming agreement with Warner Bros. International Television that will bring Top 20 superhero TV series ARROW and THE FLASH to its subscription on-demand video streaming service, code-named "Project Latte."

All 46, one-hour episodes from ARROW's first and second seasons will immediately be available when "Project Latte" launches in December.

THE FLASH will become available on "Project Latte" when its debut season concludes in 2015.

Full Press Release.
 
#56 ·
ORPHAN BLACK and BBC’s DOCTOR WHO to Headline Bell Media’s “Project Latte” Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection

Bell Media revealed today that its upcoming subscription on-demand video streaming service, code-named “Project Latte,” will deliver to its subscribers the most-sought after sci-fi and fantasy-themed premium TV content in the country when it launches next month, anchored by genre hits ORPHAN BLACK and BBC’s DOCTOR WHO. Today’s announcements are the latest in a series of programming confirmations for Canada’s premium TV streaming service, set to launch in December.

At launch, the Sci-Fi & Fantasy, STAR TREK, and Superheroes collections will represent more than 1,500 hours of programming for “Project Latte” subscribers.

ORPHAN BLACK and DOCTOR WHO

• At launch, “Project Latte” will feature past seasons of two of the hottest shows on TV – conspiracy clone drama ORPHAN BLACK (20 episodes), exclusively available on “Project Latte,” and BBC’s cult-hit DOCTOR WHO (108 episodes). Last season, ORPHAN BLACK reached a total of 3.7 million viewers and more than 832,000 unique viewers each week on Space. DOCTOR WHO, the #1 series of all time on Space, reached epic proportions in its recently wrapped eighth season, averaging 756,000 viewers weekly, making it the most-watched TV series on Canadian specialty television during its run.

STAR TREK
• Bell Media has secured the subscription on-demand video streaming service rights for the entire TV catalogue of one of the most popular series of all time, STAR TREK. Every single episode of STAR TREK’s six series, 30 seasons, 715 hours, and 726 episodes can only be found together on “Project Latte” at launch, allowing subscribers to re-live the intergalactic magic from Captains Kirk to Picard to Janeway.
• While the catalogue has been available to fans in various forms throughout the years, “Project Latte” will be the only service to deliver all six series in their entirety: STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES; STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION; STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE; STAR TREK: VOYAGER; and STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE.
• Plus, fans get access to the little-known STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES, voiced by the original cast.

UTOPIA
• “Project Latte” will also feature the British conspiracy thriller UTOPIA, which earlier this week was awarded “Best Drama” at the International Emmy Awards.
• From Kudos, one of the world’s leading television production companies, UTOPIA follows five online strangers who are drawn together by the legendary manuscript of a cult graphic novel, and then find themselves pursued by a secret and deadly organization known only as The Network.

SCI-FI & FANTASY
• Also joining the lineup of ever-growing premium content on “Project Latte” is cop fantasy GRIMM, smoking-hot werewolf drama BITTEN, fan-favourite TEEN WOLF, Season 1 of BBC’s epic adventure drama ATLANTIS, medieval fantasy MERLIN, BBC’s action-packed series SINBAD, comedy horror TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL, cult favourite military sci-fi series BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA (2004-09), and its spin-off CAPRICA. The iconic and influential THE TWILIGHT ZONE will also be available to “Project Latte” subscribers, in fully re-mastered glory.
• Coming up later in 2015 is the greatly anticipated new Space Original production KILLJOYS, an interplanetary space drama from ORPHAN BLACK producers Temple Street Productions.

SUPERHEROES
Bell Media announced today the first titles for its “Superheroes” collection, ARROW and THE FLASH, two of the most-watched television programs in Canada, Based on the DC comic characters, ARROW is billionaire playboy and secret vigilante Oliver Queen, while THE FLASH is Barry Allen, the Fastest Man Alive.

Programming announced today represent content from BBC Worldwide, CBS Studios International, Entertainment One Television, Frantic Films, FremantleMedia International, MGM, NBC Universal, Shine Group, Temple Street Productions, and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.

Full Press Release.
 
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