At a glitzy event in Dublin city centre today, UPC announced that it is to launch an on-demand TV service on Friday 25th May.
The new service offers seven days of catch-up from the RTE and TV3 Players and around 1,300 hours of TV titles on-demand and without the need for an internet connection or computer. The service is free to existing UPC TV customers and will be rolled out in Dublin first.
Cities including Cork, Limerick and Galway will receive the service as part of a nationwide rollout scheduled for later in the summer.
In addition to the on-demand TV service, UPC is launching an on-demand movie rental service which will give customers access to hundreds of titles including new releases. UPC says that new releases will be available at the same time as traditional DVD rentals. The cost to rent a new release will be €4.99 and movies from the back-catalogue will cost €1.99.
At the event, which was hosted by UPC brand-ambassador Craig Doyle and included Coronation Street star Michelle Keegan and Irish actor Simon Delaney, the chief executive of UPC Ireland Dana Strong said that the new service would change the way Irish households watch television.
“Even if you forget to record your favourite shows you can relax knowing they will be available for the next week through the catch-up TV service. Or you can simply choose from our extensive library of other television programmes, box sets and movies."
UPC’s on-demand box set service will include shows like The Good Wife, Blue Bloods and Dexter. A range of TV programs from producers like BBC, Disney and Channel 4 will also be available.
Dana Strong added that UPC has invested €500 million in their network demonstrating their commitment to Irish customers.
UPC’s on-demand service differs from rival Netflix in that in can be accessed using the standard UPC remote and does not require a computer, Xbox or similar device to be connected to the TV. UPC says that Dublin customers will be able to access the service on Friday by just clicking the “on-demand” button on their remote control.
*There were lots of pro photographers at the bash, but we took this pic with an iPhone! We're sure you can't tell :-)
