Quickflix Expands New Zealand Streaming Options
4 December 2012
Quickflix
Expands New Zealand Streaming Options Following Landmark
Deal With Freeview.
Quickflix will launch its streaming movie and TV series to the estimated 500,000 New Zealand households with compatible MyFreeview|HD digital TV recorders and connected Freeview|HD TVs in early 2013.
Quickflix today announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Freeview to provide easy, viewer initiated, access to the Quickflix movie and TV streaming service via a Freeview|HD channel to the estimated half a million New Zealand households with access to compatible MyFreeview|HD digital receivers and connected Freeview|HD TVs. The majority of MyFreeview|HD and Freeview |HD TVs sold since January 2011 are enabled with this connected functionality.
The service, which will launch in 2013, will include the Quickflix “all you can view” subscription offering as well as premium new release titles, which will be available as part of its “pay per play” service. Quickflix will have its own dedicated channel on the Freeview platform - channel 200. Freeview viewers will be able to seamlessly switch from any of Freeview’s broadcast free to air channels to instant streaming of movies and TV series just by changing channels. This is made possible by Freeview's unique MHEG interaction channel technology, which allows for the switch from broadcast linear free to air services to interactive on demand channels delivered by broadband. The Quickflix channel will also feature free movie trailers and previews for all Freeview viewers able to receive the channel.
Freeview is owned by New Zealand’s leading free to air broadcasters TVNZ, Mediaworks, Maori Television and Radio New Zealand. The Freeview|HD service is available to 86 percent of New Zealand homes and can be picked up using a UHF aerial connected to a Freeview|HD receiver.
Paddy Buckley, Managing Director of Quickflix NZ, said "We're delighted to be partnering up with Freeview to deliver an alternative to traditional pay TV in New Zealand. Half a million Kiwis will have access to our subscription and pay-per-view movie and TV streaming service so this is a big development for television consumers in this country. This agreement allows us to hugely increase our reach and also to boost the core Freeview offering, which we're already big fans of."
Sam Irvine, GM Freeview, said "This development is exciting for Freeview|HD owners as it gives them the option of easy access to Quickflix’s services - Freeview with extras, if you like. We think this will lead to a big uptake in connected devices."
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About
Quickflix¬¬¬ NZ
Quickflix (www.quickflix.co.nz) is New Zealand's
first online streaming movie service offering a large
catalogue of movies and TV series streamed instantly direct
to PCs, Apple Macs and a growing range of connected TVs,
games consoles, tablets, smartphones and other connected
devices. Quickflix offers an ‘all you can view’
subscription service and premium ‘pay per play’ for
latest release
movies.