Rogers’ TV Everywhere Thriving – Analyst Blog

Within just two weeks of its launch, Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI) has already registered about 100,000 cable subscribers for its new TV Everywhere service. Named “On Demand Online” in Canada, this service is quickly gaining popularity within 2.3 million cable subscribers of the company. Rogers sets a target of registering a few hundred thousand subscribers to its On Demand Online by end 2010.

 

TV Everywhere is basically a broadband video service that will enable pay-TV subscribers to watch premium cable programming online over broadband networks offering more than 1,000 hours of content from almost 50 broadcast and cable programming partners.

 

Recently, TV Everywhere has gained huge popularity among the North American cable MSOs as customers are looking for more value and they are getting that from this type of programming.

 

In the North American markets, TV Everywhere is gradually gaining popularity. Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) has not yet disclosed the number of subscribers that it has signed up for access to its TV Everywhere product launched in December 2009. Time Warner Cable (TWC) offers about 10,000 hours of VOD, which is a mix of transactional, subscription and free content.

 

In Canada, Bell Canada’s (BCE) entry into cable TV services is shooting up competitive pressure and may, in our view, chip off Rogers’ market share and cap margin expansion. Bell Canada and Telus Corp. (TU) established partnership to launch their CDMA-based wireless networks with HSPA technology in 2010.

 

Currently, Rogers is working with Comcast to power its TV Everywhere site. Rogers is offering every FIFA World Cup match on TV, mobile and broadband on-demand so the customers do not miss a moment of the game.

 

We believe the deployment of high-speed HSPA+ wireless network and DOCSIS 3.0 cable network will sustain future growth of the company. Rogers’ cable operations are also growing rapidly, fueled by its triple play packages (cable, telephony and Internet data services).