In Demand

For the song by Texas, see In Demand (song).
In Demand
Launched November 27, 1985 (1985-11-27) (as Viewer's Choice)
November 2000 (2000-11) (as iN DEMAND)
Owned by iN DEMAND L.L.C.
(Comcast iN DEMAND Holdings, Inc., Cox Communications Holdings, Inc., & Charter Communications)
Formerly called Viewer's Choice (1985-2000)
Sister channel(s) Too Much for TV, Hot Choice
Website www.indemand.com
Availability
Cable
Available on most U.S. cable and other systems in North America Consult your cable provider

In Demand (semi-capitalized as a trademark as iN DEMAND) is a content distributor that provides Pay-Per-View (PPV), Video on Demand and subscription video-on-demand (VOD) services. Comcast, Cox Communications, and Charter Communications (which bought Time Warner Cable and former Advance Publications subsidiary Bright House Networks in May 2016) jointly own iN DEMAND.

The President & CEO is Robert (Bob) Benya since 2010.[1] He is also a member of CTAM Board of Directors.[2]

History

Logo of US's Viewer's Choice, which preceded iN DEMAND. Many different color schemes were used; the 3D version was used 1992-2000.

iN DEMAND was launched in November 27, 1985 with one channel of Pay-Per-View content as Viewer's Choice (unrelated to Canada's Viewers Choice). Viewer's Choice continued to expand in the 1990s when it acquired many defunct PPV assets.

By 2000, the company was delivering first-run movies on the industry’s then new Video On Demand (VOD) platform. It added library titles in 2003.

The company began offering out-of-market professional sports packages in 1999 with NBA League Pass. It added NHL Center Ice in 2000 and MLB Extra Innings in 2001. It offered MLS Direct Kick from 2001–2016.

On January 1, 2000, the service changed the name and on-air look to iN DEMAND.[3] The first program upon relaunch was Rave Un2 the Year 2000, a New Year's Eve concert performed by Prince, which was taped a couple weeks prior. By 2004, most of the cable providers were able to provide Video On Demand in addition to Pay-Per-View as digital technology evolved.

Former iN DEMAND ident used until 2014. This was the latest variant.

In 2010, iN DEMAND began providing a free movies on demand service, Vutopia, offered on Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. The service offered uncut older movies organized in themes. It was closed down on June 1, 2015.[4]

iN DEMAND was a distributor of the May, 2015 Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao boxing match, the highest-grossing Pay-Per-View event of all time.

Services

iN DEMAND provides full-service content delivery and management system for MVPD clients. Legal, programming, technical, marketing and financial employees at the company manage the cycle of delivery, from licensing and acquisition, through technical prep and delivery, plus data collection and royalty payments. Content preparation includes metadata, encoding, closed captioning, quality control, encryption, multi-platform distribution and business continuity.

iN DEMAND’s infrastructure now delivers more than 300,000 hours of content yearly, generating over 120 million transactions. iN DEMAND’s content travels on four transponders across three satellites, providing 50 channels of linear content, plus all-IP terrestrial delivery of VOD. The channels consist of 31 SD and 19 HD channels. iN DEMAND’s footprint includes 240 affiliated multichannel video providers in the U.S., Caribbean and Canada, reaching a total of more than 60mm addressable digital households. The company now negotiates deals and delivers content on behalf of its owners and affiliates from about 220 content suppliers, including all major Hollywood movie studios and top indies.[5]

Programs distributed by iN DEMAND include first run and library Movies from all major studios and indies, live ring sports events from UFC, pro wrestling such as Wrestling and WWE, HBO Boxing, Showtime Boxing, to Hard Knocks Fighting. The company has featured a variety of pay-per-view entertainment concert performances from music and comedy icons, such as Elvis Costello, Phil Lesh, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, Steve Harvey and Lewis Black. In 2015, iN DEMAND delivered the most successful PPV concert ever- Grateful Dead: Fare Thee Well.

The company also distributes Professional Out-Of-Market Sports packages MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, and NHL Center Ice. iN DEMAND airs many international sports as well on its PPV channels including South American World Cup Qualifiers (Soccer, 2009 & 2016), Central America World Cup Qualifiers (Soccer), Asia Cup Soccer, the 2011 and 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup live from England and Professional Bull Riding.

Bob Benya

Robert G. (Bob) Benya was named President & CEO of iN DEMAND in January, 2010. He had previously served on the company’s Board of Directors for five years.

Before joining iN DEMAND, he was corporate Senior Vice President, Video Product Strategy at Time Warner Cable (TWC). At TWC, he helped oversee development of Digital TV, Video-On-Demand, Interactive TV, Road Runner, Start Over/Look Back and Cross-Platform services.

In 2010 he was elected to the board of directors of CTAM and has joined the board of the CTAM Educational Foundation. He previously served on the boards of iN DEMAND, Music Choice and The Better Business Bureau Online and was co-chair of CTAM’s Advanced Cable Services Consortium. He graduated from New York University with a BA in Marketing.[6]

In May 2016, Benya was honored with the Vanguard Award for Associates & Affiliates by the industry’s trade organization, NCTA: The Internet & Television Association.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bob Benya Named CEO of In Demand | Broadcasting & Cable". www.broadcastingcable.com. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  2. ↑ "CTAM Board of Directors". www.ctam.com. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  3. ↑ "Viewer's Choice to Become in Demand PPV Cable Brand to Roll Out At Dawn of New Millennium". Business Wire. 1999-09-13. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  4. ↑ Vutopia website
  5. ↑ Media30dotcom (2011-05-13), Shelly Palmer Chats With Bob Benya, CEO of iN Demand, About, retrieved 2016-09-16
  6. ↑ "Bob Benya". dmwvideo.com. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  7. ↑ "| NCTA". NCTA. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
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