itvt

–Launches ITV Services in More Markets
–Launches Free Olympics VOD Service
–Signs VOD Deal with Rotten Tomatoes

US incumbent telco, AT&T, has generated a fair amount of interactive
TV- and VOD-related news over the past few weeks:

• The company has teamed with Yahoo!-owned photo-sharing site,
  Flickr, to launch an interactive TV application on its U-verse IPTV
  service. Dubbed AT&T Online Photos from Flickr, the application
  allows customers to use their TV sets to browse and view slideshows of
  their flickr.com photo collections. AT&T–which stresses in its U-verse
  marketing efforts that the service is IP-based–claims that it is the only
  video service provider to offer such an integrated TV/Web photo
  service: “AT&T Online Photos from Flickr is yet another example of
  the benefits of U-verse TV,” Brian Buffington, AT&T’s executive
  director of U-verse marketing, said in a prepared statement. “Because
  of the powerful integration that Internet Protocol enables, we’re able to
  bring customers’ online photos to their TV, without any hassle. We
  make it easy to display and enjoy your favorite memories from the
  comfort of your couch, on the biggest screen in the house.” The new
  application can be accessed by tuning to channel 91 or from the
  U-verse TV menu: customers then select from their Flickr photo sets,
  which are automatically available from their master AT&T High Speed
  Internet account, and they can either browse their photos or start a
  slideshow.

• The company has rolled out its existing line-up of interactive TV
  services in two new markets: Oklahoma City and San Diego. The
  services, which are offered at no extra charge, include 1) AT&T U-bar,
  which presents customizable weather, stock, sports and traffic info on
  the TV screen without interrupting the current program, and which
  allows customers who are also AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet
  customers to personalize it from their AT&T Yahoo! home page, so
  that it displays weather info for specific locations, their personal stock
  portfolio and scores for their favorite teams; 2) Yellowpages.com TV,
  which lets customers use their remotes to search for local businesses;
  and 3) AT&T Yahoo! games, which allows customers to use their
  remotes to play such games as “Sudoku,” “Solitaire,” “JT’s Blocks,”
  “Mah-jongg Tiles” and “Chess.”

• In order to capitalize on interest in the 2008 Olympic Games, the
  company has launched a new category of free content on the U-verse
  TV VOD service. Dubbed AT&T Team USA On Demand, the new
  category features coverage of US Olympic Team hopefuls, as they train
  for and compete in various sports, including gymnastics, beach
  volleyball, track and field, BMX, tae kwon do, swimming and diving.
  Specific titles on offer include “AT&T Tips and Training,” an original
  production that provides sport-specific training tips from several US
  Olympic Team hopefuls; and “USA Gymnastics Behind the Team,”
  which features interviews with current and former athletes and coaches,
  and footage of training camps and competitions. AT&T also recently
  offered on-demand coverage of the 2008 Masters golf tournament on
  the U-verse TV service, as well as on broadband and wireless.

• The company has formed a partnership with movie guidance site,
  Rotten Tomatoes, that sees the latter providing recommendations
  (including its “Certified Fresh” accolade, which is awarded to movies
  that have been reviewed by 40 or more accredited film critics and have
  achieved a score of 75% or more on its “Tomatometer”) for movies on
  the U-verse VOD service. The recommendations appear on-screen via
  the AT&T U-verse Theatre channel; in the free “U-guide” monthly
  entertainment magazine that AT&T offers to all U-verse customers; in
  monthly VOD brochures mailed to customers; and online at the AT&T
  U-verse U-connect entertainment site.

• It has signed an agreement with Players Network to offer the latter’s
  “gaming lifestyle” channel, Vegas on Demand” on the U-verse VOD
  service. The deal provides U-verse customers with around 50 free
  shows per month from a library of around 1,000 titles.