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THE public broadcaster SBS Television is to offer selected programming for the first time as a commercial, on-demand downloadable service through a new strategic relationship with Telstra BigPond.
As the first example of what is expected to become a broader offering, viewers of the new SBS cult comedy Wilfred will be able to download from BigPond the next episode of the show three hours after the previous episode’s telecast has gone to air.
Each download is ad-free and priced at $2.95, with a 20 per cent discount for BigPond users. Copyright protection measures mean the download must be viewed within 48 hours of the download.
The Wilfred programming is thought to be being used as a kind of pilot, and could be expanded quickly to cover other SBS TV programming. It is not yet clear whether the deal with Telstra BigPond will raise any eyebrows in Canberra.
SBS commercial affairs director Richard Finlayson said SBS and Wilfred producers Renegade wanted to give the show “the widest possible distribution”.
“We recognise that technology is shifting the time and place of media consumption and this deal is a great opportunity to better understand the future of consumer preferences,” Mr Finlayson said.
Wilfred premiered on March 19 and follows the adventures of a cantankerous canine named Wilfred and his unlucky-in-love mistress Sarah.
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