Now TV

Now TV is a Hong Kong pay-television service operated by Now TV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of PCCW. It launched on 26 September 2003 as a broadband-based television platform and became one of the most substantial pay-TV operations in Hong Kong. Its service is delivered using IPTV technology through HKT's fixed broadband infrastructure, linking television distribution with the telecommunications group's broadband business. The service developed from PCCW's earlier interactive television initiative, iTV. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, PCCW experimented with a broad digital entertainment and information offering that included video-on-demand, music videos, news, home shopping, home banking and educational programming. iTV had attracted tens of thousands of users, but the liberalization of Hong Kong's pay-TV market in 2000 intensified competition with established operator i-Cable and new licensees. As the earlier interactive-TV model weakened, the operation was discontinued in 2002. Now Broadband pay-TV followed in September 2003 with an initial lineup of 23 channels. Now TV's early growth was rapid. It expanded its channel portfolio with sports, international news, children's and entertainment programming, including channels associated with BBC World, Animax, ESPN STAR and Cantonese-language film and general-entertainment services. The platform had surpassed 200,000 customers within four months of launch and continued to increase its subscriber base during 2004–2006. By the end of 2005, PCCW reported 549,000 paying or non-paying subscribers in the broader service base, although the service was still operating at a loss at that stage. Subscriber numbers exceeded 654,000 by August 2006 according to contemporary reporting. Programming rights became central to Now TV's competitive strategy. Rather than compete directly with Hong Kong's terrestrial broadcasters on their core model, the service sought to establish a strong pay-TV position through long-term agreements and exclusive access to international channels and premium sports. It secured important football rights, including UEFA Champions League coverage, the Hong Kong rights to the Barclays Premier League from the 2007–2008 season, and Euro 2008. These deals strengthened the brand's appeal to sports households but also increased programming costs and contributed to decisions to raise subscription prices. The platform also expanded technically. In December 2005, Now TV introduced higher-speed network capabilities, with advertised connection speeds reaching up to 18 megabits per second in some circumstances. Video-on-demand services were added in January 2006, broadening the product beyond scheduled linear channels. The service later became known for a large multi-genre channel catalog, high-definition programming and an extensive video-on-demand library. Reference material describes a lineup of 197 television channels, including 176 channels branded under Now TV, 32 in high definition, and a further 21 channels associated with TVB Network Vision, together with more than 30 video-on-demand categories. Now TV's name is derived from the phrase “Network Of the World,” reflecting PCCW's early ambition to combine telecommunications connectivity with international information and entertainment. Its principal market remains Hong Kong, where it operates as part of PCCW and HKT's connected telecommunications, broadband and media ecosystem. The service's historical significance lies in its role as an early large-scale IPTV deployment and in its use of premium sports exclusivity, broadband distribution and on-demand programming to compete in a liberalized pay-TV market.

PCCW's origins in interactive television predate the Now TV brand. In the late 1990s, the company's iTV initiative combined television and online-style services, offering news, video-on-demand, music videos, home shopping, home banking and educational material. The platform had approximately 67,000 subscribers at the end of 2000. Hong Kong's pay-TV market changed significantly in 2000 when the government liberalized licensing and invited additional operators to compete with the incumbent services. The resulting competition placed pressure on iTV and on i-Cable, while new entrants sought programming, customers and distribution capacity. As the earlier interactive television operation lost momentum, PCCW terminated iTV in the final quarter of 2002. The company then repositioned its broadband infrastructure as the foundation for a new pay-TV service. Now Broadband pay-TV launched on 26 September 2003 with 23 channels. The service used IPTV technology transmitted through HKT's fixed broadband network, allowing PCCW to integrate television with its telecommunications and broadband relationships. The “Now” name was explained as an abbreviation of “Network Of the World.” The launch was followed by rapid channel and customer expansion. Now TV added sports and international programming, including BBC World, Animax, ESPN STAR-related content, Cantonese-language Star Chinese Movies and Xing Kong. More than 200,000 customers had reportedly joined within four months. The subscriber base continued to grow, reaching 361,000 at the end of 2004 and 549,000 at the end of 2005 according to PCCW reporting cited in reference material. The 2005 figure included both paying and free subscribers, and the service was nevertheless operating at a loss during that period. By August 2006, reported subscribers exceeded 654,000. Technology and content were the two principal development pillars. In December 2005, Now TV introduced a network capability advertised at speeds of up to 18 megabits per second, while stating that at least 75 percent of its service area would receive service at up to 8 megabits per second. Video-on-demand was introduced in January 2006, enabling users to access content outside the conventional linear schedule. The platform subsequently developed a large catalog of linear channels, high-definition services and on-demand categories. Premium sports rights became a major strategic tool. Now TV announced a three-year UEFA Champions League agreement with ESPN STAR covering the 2006–2009 seasons. In November 2006 it won exclusive Hong Kong rights to Barclays Premier League football for three seasons starting in 2007–2008. It also secured exclusive Euro 2008 rights in December 2006 and carried Playboy TV on an exclusive basis from December 2006. These agreements gave the service a strong proposition for sports viewers and helped distinguish it from terrestrial broadcasters and competing pay-TV platforms. The rights strategy also influenced pricing. After acquiring several expensive premium properties, Now TV indicated in December 2006 that it planned to raise subscription rates. This followed an earlier position that it would not simply reduce monthly charges in response to i-Cable's flexible channel-selection model, because it was investing in additional channels and delivery quality. The competitive environment therefore combined channel choice, broadband technology, exclusive programming and subscription economics. Now TV was recognized at the 2004 CASBAA convention with the Chairman's Award for its marketing and interactive platform development. Reference material describes the mature service as having 197 television channels, including 176 under the Now TV brand, 32 HD channels, 21 channels under TVB Network Vision and more than 30 video-on-demand categories. The brand remains associated with PCCW's Hong Kong media and telecommunications operations and is historically notable as one of the region's prominent IPTV-based pay-TV services.

• 2006

  Video-on-demand launches

  [1]Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org

  The service added video-on-demand programming in January, expanding its offering beyond linear television channels.

• 2006

  Major football rights secured

  [1]Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org

  Now TV secured UEFA Champions League, Barclays Premier League and Euro 2008 rights for Hong Kong, reinforcing its premium sports positioning.

• 2005

  Higher-speed network capability introduced

  [1]Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org

  Now TV introduced a service technology advertised with connection speeds reaching up to 18 megabits per second in December.

• 2004

  CASBAA Chairman's Award

  [1]Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org

  Now TV received the CASBAA Chairman's Award for its pay-TV platform, marketing and interactive capabilities.

• 2003

  Now TV launches

  [1]Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org

  Now Broadband pay-TV launched on 26 September with 23 channels, using IPTV delivery over HKT's fixed broadband network.

• 2002

  iTV operation is discontinued

  [1]Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org

  PCCW terminated its earlier interactive television operation in the final quarter of 2002; iTV is commonly regarded as the predecessor of Now TV.

• 2000

  Hong Kong liberalizes the pay-TV market

  [1]Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org

  The opening of the market increased competition for subscribers and programming and contributed to the strategic transition from PCCW's earlier iTV operation toward a new broadband pay-TV service.

A broadband-integrated Hong Kong pay-TV platform differentiated by IPTV delivery, a broad channel catalog, premium sports rights, high-definition programming and video-on-demand content.

• Pay television · 2003

  Now TV linear channel service

  The core subscription service distributes a broad range of television channels through IPTV over HKT's fixed broadband network. Its programming has included local Cantonese services, international news, general entertainment, children's programming, films and sports. The catalog expanded substantially from the original 23-channel launch and was described in reference material as including 197 television channels across Now TV and associated network offerings.

• Sports television · 2006

  Premium sports packages

  Premium sports programming became a central part of Now TV's competitive proposition. The service pursued exclusive or high-value rights for football competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, Barclays Premier League and Euro 2008. These packages were intended to attract sports-focused households and differentiate IPTV subscriptions from terrestrial television and competing pay-TV services.

• High-definition television

  Now TV HD channels

  The service developed a high-definition channel offering as network capacity and household broadband connectivity improved. Reference material identifies 32 HD channels within the described channel lineup, making picture quality and delivery capability part of the platform's broader value proposition.

• Video on demand · 2006

  Now TV video-on-demand

  Video-on-demand services were introduced in January 2006. They allowed subscribers to access programming through categorized libraries rather than relying only on scheduled broadcasts. Reference material describes more than 30 on-demand categories in the service's expanded offering.

• 2006

  Add video-on-demand programmingProduct launch

  Background

  Scheduled channels alone were insufficient to maximize the potential of the IPTV platform and broadband connection.

  Action taken

  Now TV launched video-on-demand services in January 2006 and developed a categorized on-demand library.

  Aftermath

  The service broadened from linear pay television toward a more flexible, on-demand entertainment platform.

  Source

• 2006

  Prioritize exclusive premium sports rightsStrategy

  Background

  Now TV faced strong competition in Hong Kong and sought a distinctive proposition that would not depend on direct competition with terrestrial broadcasters.

  Action taken

  The service acquired or announced major football rights, including UEFA Champions League, Barclays Premier League and Euro 2008 coverage.

  Aftermath

  Sports became a major differentiator for the platform, while the cost of rights contributed to plans to increase subscription rates.

  Source

• 2006

  Plan subscription price increases after sports-rights acquisitionsPrice change

  Background

  Now TV had invested in exclusive ESPN, Premier League and Euro 2008 programming while competitors were also experimenting with flexible channel pricing.

  Action taken

  In December 2006, Now TV announced plans to raise subscription rates rather than follow a strategy centered on minimizing monthly charges.

  Aftermath

  The decision reflected the platform's positioning around expanded content and delivery quality, but also exposed the relationship between premium rights costs and consumer pricing.

  • i-Cable — i-Cable had adopted a more flexible channel-selection and pricing model, according to the reference material.

  Source

• 2003

  Launch an IPTV-based broadband pay-TV platformProduct launch

  Background

  PCCW discontinued the earlier iTV operation after increased competition in Hong Kong's liberalized pay-TV market and needed a new model linked to its broadband infrastructure.

  Action taken

  The company launched Now Broadband pay-TV on 26 September 2003 with 23 channels, delivered through HKT's fixed broadband network.

  Aftermath

  The service expanded its channel lineup rapidly and reportedly exceeded 200,000 customers within four months.

  Source

• 2021-03-19

  NOW TV rebrands as NOW[3]NOW TV更名为NOWadworld.ie

  Reported: 2021-03-19

  Sky’s on-demand streaming service NOW TV rebranded as NOW, accompanied by a new brand identity, look and feel.

1. 1Now TV (Hong Kong)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Now TV official websitenowtv.now.com
3. 3NOW TV更名为NOWadworld.ie