Bell TV first to offer HBO content online

Astral and Bell deliver a full slate of HBO programming Online for Bell TV subscribers at no additional fee

TORONTO and MONTRÉAL, May 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Astral Media (TSX: ACM.A/ACM.B) and Bell TV today announced that for the first time in Canada, a full slate of HBO programming is now available online through Bell TV Online. Available at no additional cost for Bell TV customers who subscribe to The Movie Network, the service enables customers to watch movies, series and other premium commercial-free content on their computers on-demand anywhere in Canada, wherever a high-speed Internet connection is available.

Accessible through the Bell TV Online portal at www.bell.ca/tvonline under the TMN OnLine section, the offering will include titles from HBO's acclaimed line-up of series, movies and specials, including The Pacific, How to Make it in America, Big Love, Real Time with Bill Maher and Treme, as well as the highly anticipated new seasons of True Blood, Hung and Entourage.

"TMN subscribers expect the innovative, multi-platform delivery of our unparalleled entertainment offering, and we're thrilled to add a robust and steady stream of HBO programming to our already-riveting content mix," said Domenic Vivolo, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Astral Television Networks. "Now, our subscribers can keep up with can't miss programming like The Pacific and the upcoming launch of season three of True Blood through the Bell TV Online portal, anywhere in Canada wherever a high-speed connection is available."

"Bell is excited to add popular HBO programming to Bell TV Online, the first online portal in Canada that lets subscribers access commercial-free premium content at no cost wherever they are in Canada," said Kevin Crull, President of Bell Residential Services. "Since launching Bell TV Online this fall, we have seen excellent customer response to the innovative service that adds great flexibility and added-value for our Bell TV subscribers."

The addition of HBO programming to Bell TV Online will increase the offering to approximately 300 hours of content per week, with 25 per cent of the content refreshed weekly. TMN OnLine on Bell TV Online reflects the weekly content offering of The Movie Network's current Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service and will offer similar functionality enabling subscribers to rewind, play, pause and review title descriptions. This summer, customers can expect another first-in-Canada feature, that will have new episodes of HBO's hit series offered online on-demand immediately following the linear broadcast on HBO Canada.

TMN OnLine is part of the Bell TV Online portal, which delivers a compelling cross-platform entertainment experience. In addition to programming from TMN, Family Channel and Playhouse Disney, Bell TV customers can enjoy the added value of ordering Pay Per View content, access to NHL Game Centre Live as well as to Bell's Remote PVR that enables customers to remotely set and manage their HD PVR recordings. This unique portal delivers an unparalleled subscriber experience by extending the entertainment experience from the traditional TV screen to the Internet, a key component of Bells three-screen strategy that works to deliver entertainment content on TV, computer and mobile-phone screens.

About Bell

Headquartered in Montréal, Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite television, Bell Home Phone local and long distance phone services, and IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the Exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

The Movie Network is a pay television service available in eastern Canada. With premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, new and exclusive HBO content, critically-acclaimed Showtime series and first-rate Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television entertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels - M, HBO Canada, MExcess, MFun! and MFest - which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and commercial-free television environment. The Movie Network also offers The Movie Network HD and HBO Canada HD, two dedicated high-definition channels providing hundreds of titles in HD; The Movie Network OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern Canada; and, TMN OnLine an Internet-based content streaming service available to BellTV subscribers. For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca.

The Movie Network is an Astral Media Television Network. Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and iMedia. Astral Media's solid and dynamic presence in the country's major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences.

For further information: Scott Campbell, Astral Television Networks, [phone], [email protected]; Julie Smithers, Bell Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]