The agreement includes rights for NRTC members to distribute all 26 HBO and Cinemax MPEG-2 standard-definition feeds and all 26 HBO and Cinemax MPEG-4 high-definition feeds to subscribers via MPEG-4 delivery. NRTC members will also have subscription video-on-demand rights for these services.
Bob Phillips, president and CEO of NRTC, said: Rural America is no different than its urban or suburban counterparts in its demand for quality video services. NRTC works diligently for its members to bring that same quality to home towns across the US. I’m pleased that we’ve reached this agreement with HBO and can offer this programming to our telco members.
NRTC and the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association partnered in 2007 to offer rural telcos a complete programming selection for IPTV. With the addition of HBO and Cinemax, the offering will boast over 350 video and audio channels from companies such as A&E Television Networks, Disney/ESPN/ABC, NBC Universal, Fox News, Discovery Communications, Scripps Networks etc.
NRTC represents the advanced telecommunications and information technology interests of more than 1,400 rural utilities and affiliates in 47 states. Founded in 1986, NRTC provides products and services developed to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, such as high-speed Internet access via satellite, full service Internet access and support, advanced metering infrastructure, SmartSCADA, wireless technologies, power quality products, long distance programs, mobile phone service, IP backbone services, direct broadcast satellite service (DBS) with DIRECTV and programming for Internet protocol television (IPTV).
