Viasat Ready to Launch VoD Services

[Satellite Today 10-23-08] Viasat will launch video-on-demand (VoD) services to its satellite subscriber base in Sweden within  a week, with plans to expand the availability of the service across Scandinavia, the company announced Oct. 22.    
    The DTH operator hopes ViasatOnDemand, a premium service for ViasatPlusHD subscribers, will stem its steady tide of subscriber losses in Scandinavia. The service will be rolled out in Norway and Denmark before the end of October and in Finland before the end of the year.
    ViasatOnDemand will enable subscribers to download movies and TV series and view them instantly or save the content on a hard drive to view later. Viasat subscribers can watch all current movies on the six thematic TV1000 channels or choose from an initial library of  more than 150 other movies and TV series.
    “We want to simplify the daily viewing for our subscribers,” Hans Skarplöth, CEO of Viasat Sweden, said in a statement. “Finally they get the power to see their favorite programs when it suits them. You don’t have to go to the video store to rent a movie, as it’s available through the digital box, and the Friday night movie at eight o’clock can be watched anytime.”