Music Choice is back on U-verse TV -- and MTV Networks' Urge is off -- after AT&T struck a deal to add an interactive application for Music Choice as well as the SWRV interactive music video service.
The Music Choice app is available to subscribers who take the U-verse TV U200 package or a higher tier, on channel 500 for no additional charge. It lets users select from among 46 stations, grouped by musical genre or theme.
AT&T had previously carried Music Choice until dropping it in November 2007, when it added MTVN's Urge.
Now the Music Choice app replaces the Urge music channels in the U-verse lineup. Verizon, which had been the only other affiliate for Urge, dropped the MTVN service last September.
The SWRV linear channel provides interactive programs, including SWRV Takeover, which lets viewers create their own playlist consisting of three videos and comment on others' sets as well. SWRV also is available to subs with U200 or higher tiers, on channel 501 and in HD on channel 1501.
In addition, the companies said Music Choice On Demand will be available to U-verse customers later this year, offering the latest videos and original shows.
"Our new Music Choice app is the latest example of how we're able to give customers a new and better way to enjoy and experience their favorite content on U-verse TV," AT&T president of content Dan York said in a statement. "The addition of Music Choice and SWRV allows us to deliver an interactive music experience unmatched by other providers."
Cox Communications also offers SWRV (pronounced "swerve"), which Music Choice introduced last year. All Cox high-speed Internet subscribers nationwide can watch SWRV online at www.swrv.tv with the exception of those in San Diego, which will be added soon.
Music Choice is a joint venture of Microsoft, Motorola Mobility, Sony Corporation of America, EMI Music and the three biggest U.S. cable providers: Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable.
