Five signs Bravia content deal with Sony

Channel Five has teamed up with Sony to broadcast its flagship shows on a new video-on-demand service that will be made available via Bravia television sets.

Five is the first broadcaster in the UK to sign a content deal with Sony for its planned Bravia Internet Video service, which will launch next year, although the partnership will initially run on a trial basis.

The new service will allow customers who buy Bravia TVs, Sony Blu-ray Disc Players and Blu-ray home cinema systems to plug into their broadband connection to receive free video-on-demand programming.

The new deal will see flagship Five shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away, Extraordinary People and The Hotel Inspector made available on the service.

Charles Constable, director of strategy at Five, said: “It’s vital for broadcasters and other industry stakeholders to explore such initiatives if they are to gain a solid footing in the digital world.  We believe this will help us to develop a real understanding of what convergence will mean in practice.”

Sony UK’s head of category marketing, Nicholas Barendson, added: “Watching full-length TV programmes on a PC, hunched over a screen can be a solitary experience.  Bringing on-demand content to the TV is allowing consumers to share these viewing experiences with a greater degree of ease and simplicity.”