Canadian version of HBO launches October 30th

[rsambuca]

Originally Posted by jem

I will be interested to see if the HBO stuff currently on Showcase get moved to HBO Canada.

Huh? Showcase is a completely different channel from HBO in the US.

[hugh]

Showcase is owned by CanWest. Unless their contracts are over with HBO, then I doubt anything will change in that regard.

Here is the release excluding the corporate info

TORONTO, Sept. 22 /CNW/ - Astral Media's (ACM.A/ACM.B) The Movie Network
(Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment's (CJR.B/CJR) Movie Central (Western
Canada) today announced the launch of HBO Canada, a channel that will deliver
a full slate of HBO's award-winning, boundary-pushing, genre-defining series,
films, comedies and live events. Launching on Thursday, October 30, 2008, HBO
Canada is a multiplex channel that will be offered at no additional charge to
customers who subscribe to The Movie Network or Movie Central.
"HBO is one of the most successful and sought-after entertainment brands
in the world and we are thrilled to be expanding upon our long-standing
relationship to launch this unique new service," said John Riley, President,
Astral Television Networks. "For years, HBO's dramatic programming has been
available on The Movie Network and Movie Central. But even with all of the HBO
titles we offered, Canadians still wanted more. They wanted the comedy series,
the live specials, the sporting events and the behind-the-scenes content that
went into the HBO viewing experience. In launching HBO Canada we will be in a
position to offer Canadians this additional content, together with the current
signature series that HBO produces, to create an entertainment and value
proposition that promises to set a new standard for premium television viewing
in Canada."
With its launch in October, HBO Canada will be home to new and returning
marquee series such as True Blood, Entourage, Big Love, Flight of the
Conchords and In Treatment, airing day-and-date with HBO in the U.S. The
service will also offer more than 200 hours of library titles and first-run
HBO original films, comedy specials, documentaries, live concerts and sporting
events which were previously unavailable in Canada, including Real Time with
Bill Maher, Def Comedy Jam and Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger. Library titles
available on HBO Canada include such series as OZ and Da Ali G Show; original
movies Gia, The Late Shift and If These Walls Could Talk; acclaimed miniseries
From the Earth to the Moon and Angels in America; and comedy specials from the
likes of Dane Cook, Tracey Ullman and Ellen Degeneres. HBO Canada will round
out its offering with Canadian films and series including The Movie Network
and Movie Central's award-winning original series such as Durham County and
Terminal City.
"We are thrilled that HBO Canada is going to be available to our
subscribers this fall," said Paul Robertson, President, Television, Corus
Entertainment. "Canadians see great value in HBO's distinctive brand and
compelling programming and we have responded to this with a channel that
offers a full complement of HBO programming that meets our audience's demand
for world-class entertainment - delivered in standard definition, high
definition and on demand."
HBO Canada will include a standard definition and high definition
offering. HBO Canada programming will also be offered on demand through The
Movie Network OnDemand and Movie Central On Demand where available by service
provider.
Astral Media and Corus Entertainment have expanded on the long-standing
programming output deal that each has with HBO in order to launch HBO Canada.
HBO will not hold an ownership stake in HBO Canada.

Frankly, I see little new here. A few new programs but essentially this is just putting all the current HBO stuff from TMN or MC and putting it on a separate channel.

I wouldn't be surprised as Kloraff suggested that this could mean the demise of MMORE HD.

[mickk]

showcase is advertising all the time that they have some hbo exclusives so thats why i was wondering

[rsambuca]

Sorry, I was all mixed up. I was thinking of Showtime, not Showcase!

[jumpy27]

What shows on Showcase are HBO exclusives?

[mickk]

I can't remember the name of the show but i do remember one of there ads on there sayinbg a HBO exclusive

[Mixar69]

Sorry if I'm missing a key point here but is this HBO Canada service replacing Movie Central and the Movie Network or is this a separate service altogether?

[dm_4u]

So...apparently we are getting this...a Canadianized (canabalized) version of HBO...sometime in October...

You know...for the life of me...I cannot understand why the powers that be...think that we...as adults...cannot make our own decisions...about what we want to watch...or drink...(we can go to the liquor store and buy beer from anywhere in the world...except the US of A)...

This announcement makes me wanna puke...

Only North Korea and Canada...make it illegal to receive a neighboring countries' satellite signal...what a sad commentary on our political state of affairs

[james99]

Originally Posted by Mixar69

Sorry if I'm missing a key point here but is this HBO Canada service replacing Movie Central and the Movie Network or is this a separate service altogether?

It's a seperate channel which leads to the question: will HBO content be 100% from TMN/MC?

[PFD]

Originally Posted by spensar

Very interesting. This may be enough to try subscribing to The Movie Network once again. Every few years I give it a go but cancel after a couple of months, dissapointed in what is shown. HBO's programming could really make this worthwhile.

But this has always been available. Right now on TMNOD there's at least 6 HBO series on. Bill Maher is one that isn't, granted. But all the other ones pretty much are.
I'm a bit skeptical about this. Oh yeah, it's "free" now; but wait a year and you'll get a nice letter from your provider telling you that your TMN rate is going up "so we may continue to bring you more HBO shows, etc..."
We'll be paying more for what we currently get.

[Mixar69]

Oh ok thanks James99. Now I can't answer that question but I have another. Since this is going to be a separate service which I'm assuming will be available nation wide what kind of pricing structure can we be looking at in terms of stand alone and bundling? I sure hope I don't have to pay more.

Edit: So we might be paying more for our Movie Central or Movie Network service. I think they should merge MC and TMN together to form one big movie service and make it nation wide already. And ok its just a separate channel. Got it.

[alexetel]

Yuck Cancon will part of it! :-(

I guess it's required that they put Cancon on ALL of their multiplex channels, not just be licensed to carry a multiplex of channels and pick and choose which channels get it and how much goes on it.

What I think would be best:

Rebrand TMN *and* MC as HBO Canada, now available nation-wide (TMN as HBO Canada East and MC as HBO Canada West) and allow HBO content on all their multiplex channels. Also adopt their multiplex niche (HBO Canada, HBO 2 Canada, HBO Family Canada, HBO Signature Canada, etc.; no need for HBO Latino Canada).

Making TMN as HBO Canada (East) and MC as HBO Canada (West) ALSO means doubling the number of paytv channels all Canadians can get, which would make subscribers happy, but also probably RAISE the price they charge.

You can't cry foul about not getting a choice, since we only had TMN on the east and MC on the west, anyway... until SuperChannel came. And SC can be that competition if you don't like a national HBO Canada.

- HBO Canada (East)
- HBO Canada (West)
- HBO Canada 2 (East)
- HBO Canada 2 (West)
- HBO Signature Canada (East)
- HBO Singature Canada (West)
- HBO Family Canada (East)
- HBO Fmaily Canada (West)

[TJ77]

Actually it's not an entirely separate service. It appears that HBO will be replacing MMore, and that would leave me to assume that it will also replace MC2 (since it has the HD feed). HBO Canada WILL be included with a subscription to TMN/MC. HBO will NOT be available for standalone purchase. There will be no change in pricing at this time.

[C C]

Am I the only one here not excited. The CRTC is just throwing another fast one at us...just like the article posted in the main page says, give both the customers and the big broadcasters a little of what they want hoping to keep us quite….who are they trying to fool?

%&*# that I say! This MIGHT sound better than nothing but I can almost guarantee that this "channel" will be nothing different than TMN and MC. Of course some people will just climax when the see HBO in their TV set but common....this is just ridiculous.

Wanna watch the real HBO sometime in the future plus all the other good channels we all miss? Vote Conservative!!! and give them a majority government. Enough said.

To the mods feel free to delete the last paragraph if violates the forum rules, sorry I could have checked but I'm pissed!

[alexetel]

You have a point, CC and I agree w/ you. It could be like Canwest striking a deal w/ NBC Universal and rebranding either Showcase Action or Showcase Diva or Lonestar (I know, it will become MovieTime in Oct.) as "USA Network Canada" (which sounds ridiculous in both theory and name).

If they had allowed ONE NEW multiplex channel on top of their current TMN/MC multiplexes, you're at least getting something of a bonus. What they're going to do is reconfigure one current multiplex channel, put their current content on it exclusively (fine) and add some new content never allowed before (great) and fineprint speaking fast talk of Cancon (blah) and slapping on the "HBO" prestigious brand name. Kind of a bonus, but not.