WOWOW, Japan’s leading premium pay TV broadcaster, announced that it will begin internet simulstreaming of its three channels on its own platform, WOWOW Menbers On Demand (WMOD) and Paravi, the new SVOD platform for premium content in Japan. The announcement was made today by WOWOW President and CEO Akira Tanaka.
Akin to Netflix and Hulu, Paravi launched in April and is owned and operated by Premium Platform Japan, INC., whose six major shareholders are Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings Inc. (TBS:TV Network), Japanese economics newspaper The Nikkei Inc., TV Tokyo Holdings Inc. (TX:TV Network), WOWOW, and advertising and public relations firms Dentsu Inc. and Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Inc.
WOWOW’s Members on Demand service (WMOD) will roll out its much anticipated internet simulstreaming service, with an initial trial period beginning on October 1st and full service commencing on December 1st. Paravi’s WOWOW Channel simultaneous transmission is planned to debut in December.
The conventional WOWOW service was comprised of three channels: WOWOW Prime, WOWOW Live, and WOWOW Cinema, delivered by broadcast and on-demand delivery of "live", "catchup" and "library" content delivered on their internet platform WOWOW Members on Demand (WMOD). Starting October, the three broadcast channels will be simultaneously distributed on WMOD. Customers without television devices can subscribe to WOWOW through Paravi starting in December and enjoy the simultaneous net distribution on the Paravi platform.
The simultaneous transmission service starts in response to the rapid spread of smartphones and the rapidly increasing number of Internet users. The goal is to make it possible for consumers to enjoy WOWOW via various devices anytime, anywhere, according to customers' diverse lifestyles.
The WOWOW monthly subscription fee remains the same at JPY 2,300 (approximately $20 U.S.) and will be available on Paravi at the same price.
Users signing up to the WOWOW service on Paravi will immediately be able to view the WOWOW Internet simulstream on the Paravi platform and can access WOWOW broadcast and WOWOW Members on Demand once they register their TV device.
WOWOW will continue to deliver high-quality entertainment with the aim of enhancing new viewing services under the concept of the corporate message "as much as you can see, new encounter"
WOWOW is Japan’s leading premium pay TV broadcaster with approximately 2.8 million subscribers and the first 24/7, 3 channel, full-HD broadcaster in Japan. With a focus on quality entertainment and exceptional customer service, WOWOW has seen twelve years of continuous net growth in subscribers. As of July 2011, all of the company’s subscribers are now on a digital subscription, which includes access to WOWOW’s groundbreaking Members On Demand service.
Listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock exchange, WOWOW’s subscription offering includes 3 premium Full-HD channels and a streaming service:
WOWOW Prime covers a wide range of genres, including 7 popular overseas TV drama series per week along with our original series, movies, and documentaries. WOWOW Prime is also the official channel for the live broadcasts of both the Oscars and the Grammy Awards in Japan.
WOWOW Live brings exclusive live broadcasts of the world’s greatest sports events along with live concerts and stage performances. Sports featured on WOWOW Live include the NBA, La Liga Española, LPGA, and more. Additionally, WOWOW Live broadcasts ATP tennis tournaments including all four tennis Grand Slam Championships the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
WOWOW Cinema carries titles from major studios and a lineup of approximately 1400 movie titles from all over the world. WOWOW Cinema provides an experience to the world of cinema through a selective collection of movies.
WOWOW Members On Demand offers subscribers the ability to view our quality programming anywhere and anytime. The streaming service features live events and sports as well as popular series and movies.
WOWOW aspires to become a channel where viewers can always encounter something they had never experienced, and by doing so transform the role of television from something that is viewed passively, to a place where new and exciting encounters can be expected.
