LFP Broadcasting, the parent company of Hustler TV, announced the launch of Hustler TV pay-per-view (PPV) in the United States. The channel will appear on Intelsat Americas 7, transponder 6, formerly known as Telstar 7, with Ascent Media Network Services handling network origination.
Hustler TV PPV, which was launched in Canada last year, is offered on an individual title basis in three- or six-hour blocks, and as a monthly subscription service on a 24/7 basis to cable and satellite providers. The providers then have the choice of what formats to offer their consumers. The PPV service offers a broad range of exclusive adult content, including films from VCA Pictures and Hustler Video.
Cable and satellite providers will have to make affiliation deals with Hustler TV to acquire the channel, but with the success of the station in Canada and the thirst for adult content in the U.S., it should be an easy sell.
“The Hustler TV channel in Canada is the dominating PPV channel in that market and is carried by pretty much all of the cable TV operators in that territory,” said Michael H. Klein, Executive Vice President, LFP Broadcasting. “Our partners in that area (Ten Broadcasting) tell us we’ve increased adult buys significantly for each cable operator and we’ve even increased digital penetration in certain cases.”
In the states, Hustler TV will have to compete against the likes of Playboy and their Spice Network PPV channels.
“We think we can reach cable operators who market those channels,” Klein said. “We think our channel is a perfect fit and we like the performance level of our titles and the Hustler brand, so we’re hopeful they will perform better. We’re hopeful the cable operators will recognize that this channel will bring them even more revenue than the adult categories they were seeing before.”
Hustler TV On Demand, a Video-on-Demand (VOD) service offering Hustler TV, was launched in May in the U.S. and is being carried by multiple cable providers, some of which offer up to 50 hours of content per month.
The Hustler VOD offerings have proven successful to this point and given the company more hope for the PPV channel.
“We’re signing up new affiliates each month and each affiliate is always telling us our titles are in the top 10 in performance,” Klein said.
Cable and satellite providers will be able to carry both Hustler TV On Demand and Hustler TV PPV if they so choose.
