Canadian version of HBO launches October 30th

[scrooloose]

According to Broadcaster Magazine, Bell will be offering the HBO channel(s).


-Mike

[hugh]

Yeah Bell issued a press release this morning

[gobisbay]

Yes, TMN shows some Showtime programming that HBO does not. However, I would guess that 99% of viewers in the U.S. that get HBO also get Showtime. So if you're not too lazy to change the channel, you can still watch Dexter or Californication (or Weeds, which was absolutely fantastic until it got really serious and strange this year).

Also, some people are talking about $40 to $60 a month for the movie channels. I'm not sure where they're getting their figures, but the DirecTV Premier package is $104.99 a month for every channel except the pay-per-view channels or any sports packages. That's for 265 channels and quite comparable to what I pay Cogeco (for far fewer channels). Throw in $5.99/mo for the DVR fee and $9.99 for HD Access with 50+ HD channels (DirecTV touts 95 but a lot of those are regional sports channels showing the same programming on up to 30 different channels). You can even program your DVR to record from the web or your BlackBerry!

The only gain I perceive through Cogeco is with the Super Sports Pack. At $30 a month for NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, OHL, and NCAA Football & Basketball programming, it's a steal at only $360 a year (and I usually cancel for a couple months in the summer). NFL Sunday Ticket alone costs $259 through DirecTV, which is the exclusive provider in the U.S. The SuperFan package to add more HD games as well as the RedZone channel and the condensed games throughout the week is another $99. Combined, that's the total cost for the Super Sports Pack through Cogeco.

Also, I'm guessing those of you arguing about MTV Canada not showing music videos haven't seen MTV in the U.S. for 15 or 20 years. MTV in the U.S. doesn't show videos either! Neither does VH1. These aren't music channels anymore, they're reality show / pop culture channels now.

[Paulo]

Originally Posted by hugh

Yeah Bell issued a press release this morning

Hugh, can you post the link or info on this press release from BEV. I really would like to know if I am going to be stuck watching the HBO shows (MMore channel) in SD only, or is BEV going to add a MMore HD channel to the line up!!

Thanks

Paul

[Mixar69]

Here it is

http://www.bce.ca/en/news/releases/b.../25/74987.html

[jokeDR]

Which channel will HBO Canada be replacing for viewers in the West? We have Movie Central rather than TMN.

[jgvp]

I might have known BEV would try this ploy. You can't phone BEV Customer Service these days without having to endure them trying to push the Movie Channel on you before they let you hang up even though in your previous calls you adamantly refused their overtures and gave the reasons for doing so. BEV surely must have had many cancellations to be so anxious to regain the lost revenue from ex-movie subscribers. I'd have been willing to pay for HBO by itself, but I don't see the point of bundling HBO with a load of movies that have no appeal for me whatsoever.

[VuMax]

BEV has absolutely nothing to do with the HBO channel being bundled with TMN/MC.

[jimbo42]

Originally Posted by jgvp

I might have known BEV would try this ploy. You can't phone BEV Customer Service these days without having to endure them trying to push the Movie Channel on you before they let you hang up even though in your previous calls you adamantly refused their overtures and gave the reasons for doing so. BEV surely must have had many cancellations to be so anxious to regain the lost revenue from ex-movie subscribers. I'd have been willing to pay for HBO by itself, but I don't see the point of bundling HBO with a load of movies that have no appeal for me whatsoever.

What most you guys seem to not realize is that TMN/MC is a far better channel then HBO in the USA is. There is a heck of a lot more movies and programming in general on TMN/MC then there is on HBO in the USA but some of you guys don't seem to realize this. I would take TMN/MC anyday over HBO USA. I think a lot you you think that HBO in the states is some kind of amazing channel with tons and tons of more programming and movies then TMN/MC has but that is so not true, not even close. HBO doesn't even come close to what TMN/MC has.

[jgvp]

BEV has absolutely nothing to do with the HBO channel being bundled with TMN/MC

Care to explain your assertion ?

[VuMax]

The new HBO Canada channel belongs to TMN/MC. They're the ones that put it in their package and market the package to all providers as a single entity. BEV (and all others) just pass it along. Providers like BEV have no authority to market the channel individually without the permission of TMN/MC.

[jgvp]

Thanks, VuMax, for the background information. Too bad though that most of us have nothing more to go on other than what we perceive to be a correlation between BEV's persistence in promoting the TMN/MC, and what appears on the surface to be yet another inducement dangled to unsuspecting subscribers.

[scrooloose]

You could just read the first post in this thread.

-Mike

[jgvp]

The channel will only be offered to customers that subscribe to The Movie Network or Movie Central. Canadians will not be able to subscribe to HBO Canada on its own.

The above was provided by Hugh. But there was still no indication that TMN/MC owned HBO-Canada, so I deduced that BEV was using HBO as an inducement. Apparently I was wrong.

[57]

Perhaps you didn't understand that Astral owns TMN and Corus owns MC. First line of post 1.

Astral and Corus today announced the launch of HBO Canada...

From post 17:

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...