AB Group names date for SVOD launch

French channel provider AB Group is to launch subscription video-on-demand offering Jook Video, on March 21, somewhat later than originally planned.

Jean-Michel Fava, president of the group’s pay TV service ABSat, said at the end of last year that the service would launch on January 10, a date that was itself later than initially envisaged.

The group, which owns channels AB1 and AB Moteurs and also provides low-cost pay TV service Bis TV.

The service will be available on PC and Mac computers, tablet and smartphones initially. AB is also currently in talks with network operators to deliver the service to French TV households. Orange has reportedly already signed up, and Fava has said he is in talks with Numericable and Free.

The group will initially offer 10,000 hours of programming across eight categories – movies, drama, kids, Manga, documentary, sport, music and live events. Content partners include MGM, the BBC, Warner, Sony and ABC. Jook Video will be positioned as a long tail service with a mix of catalogue titles.

AB plans to charge €6.99 a month for a range of content. The group’s deputy CEO Jean-Michel Fava has previously said that it aimed to sign up 300,000 subscribers to the service, without specifying a target date for that number.