Telia’s digital TV customers first to receive major new movie releases from SF Anytime

For the first time in Sweden, new major movies will be available at the same time on digital television as they are released in video stores in the country. During the autumn, Telia, Warner and SF Anytime will release several new movies through the Telia Digital-tv service, allowing customers to rent movies directly through the Video on Demand function.

Telia’s digital television initiative has been very positively received by households in Sweden, especially the possibility to rent movies directly via their remote control and the Video on Demand function, which has been utilised frequently during the past summer, when the weather has offered little sunshine. During July, Telia’s customers rented almost 1,000 films per day, setting a new record. Now Telia and SF Anytime will be taking a major step forward by giving viewers access to the very latest movies.

“Customers want to control their media consumption more and more and watch television and films when it suits them. Through our co-operation with SF Anytime and Warner, we can ensure that our customers have access to the very latest releases from the movie world,” says Kent Jonsson, head of broadband services at TeliaSonera Sweden.

At least eight blockbuster movies from Hollywood will be launched during the autumn of 2007. The first to be released will be the much talked about movie “300” – a powerful fictionalized epic movie about the battle of Thermopylae, which took place in 480 B.C.

The movies will be available on Telia’s Video on Demand service and SF Anytime will be the distributor. The price for renting a new movie release will be SEK 49 per film, giving viewers access to the film over a 20-hour period and allowing them to watch it as many times as they want. They can fast-forward the movie and pause it when they like, as if they were watching it on DVD.

“We are very pleased to expand our present co-operation with the two biggest players in movie and television distribution – Warner Brothers and Telia. Through our collaboration, customers can finally see their favourite films from SF Anytime through Telia Digital-tv at the same time as they are released in video stores around Sweden,” says Jonas Dahllöf, managing director of SF Anytime.

Since the launch of Telia Digital-tv, Telia has built out switching centres in Sweden on a continuous basis and approximately 2.5 million Swedish households can receive digital television through their ordinary phone jack today. Telia has constantly developed its television offering by introducing new packages of channels and interactive services. In addition to Video on Demand, customers can surf on the Internet right on their TV set and look at their digital photos, stored on Telia’s secure servers, through the “My Pictures” (Mina Bilder in Swedish) function.