Turner Broadcasting has a content delivery deal with Akimbo Systems, a startup planning to deliver Video-on-Demand television content to the Web for viewers to watch on their computers when they can't see the programs at regular television airtime.
“We are pleased to work with Akimbo and are looking forward to learning how consumers respond to this new subscription on-demand technology,” said Turner senior vice president and general interactive manager Kevin Cohen in a statement announcing the deal.
When Akimbo comes online fully within the coming weeks, the Turner deal will let Akimbo VOD customers obtain programs from Cable News Network and its CNNfn financial news division; Turner Classic Movies; popular cartoon channels Cartoon Network and its classic-cartoon spinoff network Boomerang; and, cable SuperStation TBS, whose flagship offerings include select National Basketball Association games and Atlanta Braves baseball.
Adult entertainment will be available as well, including offerings from Canada's Naked News and Danni's Hard Drive, the former an adult news programming format known for its anchors appearing in the nude or near-nude and the latter the Internet home of the adult entertainer known as "world's most downloaded woman." The service will also include parental controls.
The Turner-Akimbo deal, according to Akimbo chief executive Josh Goldman, gives the VOD startup a world-class package including some of the most identifiable brands in news and entertainment.
“Akimbo subscribers will have on-demand access to everything from CNN news specials, to the latest animated series from Cartoon Networks’ Adult Swim programming block,” said Goldman, announcing the deal. “Akimbo subscribers will love choosing from a broad range of favorite programs that they seldom get to watch at their own convenience. Viewing shows on demand from the comfort of the living room represents a big shift in the way people consume programming.”
Goldman did not return a query for further comment from AVNOnline.com before this story went to press.
To use Akimbo requires a $229 Akimbo set-top box, a high-speed Internet connection, and pay $10 per month to receive the shows, downloadable to the box's 80GB hard drive.
Akimbo was founded and is managed by top executives from such companies as ReplayTV, Macromedia, CNET, mySimon, Microsoft, and Apple.
