Bell Media Unveils CTV-branded Portfolio of Channels, Creates Next-Generation Digital Destination, and Launches New CTV Movies Service

TORONTO (June 7, 2018) – In a bold move to strategically leverage Canada’s #1 entertainment brand, Bell Media announced today it will rebrand four of its leading entertainment specialty channels as CTV properties. Space, Bravo, Comedy, and Gusto will become CTV Sci-Fi, CTV Drama, CTV Comedy, and CTV Life. They will be joined by CTV Movies and CTV Vault, two new ad-supported VOD services, in a new CTV digital super-hub featuring all seven services. “In today’s crowded media landscape, it’s essential for our services to have the same scale and brand ubiquity as our international competitors,” said Randy Lennox, President, Bell Media. “As a result we’re focusing and amplifying CTV so that it is stronger than ever.” With the new CTV super-hub, Canada’s best entertainment content will now be curated and exhibited together in a singular CTV destination. THE HANDMAID’S TALE, STAR TREK DISCOVERY, CARDINAL, THE BIG BANG THEORY, and Spider-Man, for example, will co-exist within the same environment. “The launch of this multi-genre, next generation digital super hub instantly makes our expansive portfolio easy to find through one point of entry,” said Mike Cosentino, President, Programming and Content. “It’s an enormously powerful collection of CTV-branded services, live and on-demand, encompassing hit programming from every genre.” “This new digital destination will simplify access for authenticated subscribers, who will be able to seamlessly access their content,” said Tracey Pearce, President, Distribution and Pay. “Additionally, we have been actively working on a new, state-of-the-art user experience for this product, and will launch it with an aggressive digital expansion roadmap making it available on more devices than ever before.” “We are doubling down on the strength of CTV and are incredibly excited about the CTV super-hub as a sponsor-friendly platform that will greatly expand discoverability for viewers,” said Stewart Johnston, President, Media Sales, Marketing, and TSN. “Combined with the newly created digital ad inventory from CTV Movies and CTV Vault, we are dramatically increasing the opportunity for advertisers to reach our audiences.” The rebrand of the four specialties will be preceded by the launch of two, new digital VOD services, CTV Movies and CTV Vault. Debuting “in front of the wall” on the new CTV digital platform, CTV Movies and CTV Vault will each offer thousands of hours of content, refreshed weekly, all flowing from a ground-breaking new partnership with Sony Pictures Television. The expansive movie catalogue will feature titles from every genre including, for the first time, family-oriented films, as well as blockbuster franchise titles like Spider-Man and Men In Black. CTV Vault will be the home of the entire catalogues of some of television’s most-popular series like COMMUNITY, RESCUE ME, DAMAGES, and THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, among others. Free to consumers, the two services are 100% ad supported, and will anchor the new CTV super-hub with the newly branded CTV channels to follow. The CTV super-hub will be available on connected devices everywhere, including the web, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple and Android TV, Xbox One, and Samsung smart TVs.