UPC’s Dutch digital TV customers generated more than 14 million Video On Demand (VOD) streams in the first half of 2008. The service is now used by over 40% of the digital customer base on a monthly basis, which is high compared to international benchmarks, according to the cabler.
The movie I Am Legend was the most popular film with UPC viewers over the first six months of 2008. It was made available as a Day and Date. release. Ratatouille was runner-up and Pirates of the Caribbean – At Word’s End the third most requested.
UPC has also announced it will offer interactive advertising as a commercial service, following a year of testing with 25 red button applications. The campaigns during the trail phase showed that viewers spend over three minutes on the brand involved and over one third left their personal data for more information.
UPC will offer four different types of interactive advertising possibilities: 1) I-ads. An interactive layer on top of a commercial; 2) VOD Zones. Dedicated zones where people can request advertising. This includes unlimited spot length and unlimited viewing time. As a first example, a VOD Car Zone will be launched in 2009. 3) Clickable banners in the electronic TV guide (EPG) to branded video content. 4) The creation of interactive possibilities around sponsored programmes.
