ONdigital, the digital joint venture between Carlton and Granada
Television, will launch on 15 November backed by a pounds 40 million
advertising budget and a flexible pricing package.
The digital terrestrial TV company has priced its service higher than
the basic Sky Digital package, but will focus its promotion on offering
viewers greater freedom of choice than its competitors.
The ONdigital chief executive, Stephen Grabiner, commented: ’Until now,
subscribers to multichannel television have had to pick from other
people’s bundles. We believe the only people who should choose are
subscribers.’
ONdigital will offer channel packages at two price levels below the
pounds 10 a month originally mooted, but still more expensive than Sky
Digital’s basic pounds 6.99 a month package.
ONdigital subscribers will be able to choose any six primary channels
from a portfolio of 12 for a cost of pounds 7.99 each month. These will
include Sky One, UK Gold, Carlton Select, Carlton Kids, Granada Plus and
Eurosport.
For pounds 9.99 a month, subscribers can buy all of the primary
channels.
In addition, there will be a number of premium channels, each with their
own price point: MUTV, at pounds 5 a month, Film Four, for pounds 6 a
month, and the Sky Premium channels, such as the sports channels, at a
tariff of pounds 11 for one, pounds 15 for two and pounds 18 for three.
