Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. announced today a long-term agreement to provide movies for Shaw’s new Video-on-Demand (VOD) service, set to launch this month in Calgary. Video-on-Demand, the newest development in the burgeoning home entertainment market, significantly expands consumers’ choices for accessing movies through digital cable.

“One of Alliance Atlantis’s key strategies is to give Canadian consumers greater access to our library, which includes thousands of motion picture titles,” says Patrice Theroux, President, Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution Group. “Through this agreement, Shaw’s Video-on-Demand service will give television viewers the option to select from an extensive slate of our exceptional films.”

“Because of the size of their library, Alliance Atlantis is our ideal partner in this venture,” says Michael D’Avella, Senior Vice President of Planning, Shaw Communications. “With one of Shaw’s digital set-top boxes, our customers will be able to select from Alliance Atlantis’ huge library of films in the comfort of their own homes and at their convenience.”

Alliance Atlantis will supply Shaw with an impressive lineup of current releases as well as older titles from its catalogue of films. To inaugurate the service and to initiate the Alliance Atlantis/Shaw partnership, major titles will be available on Shaw VOD throughout the fall of 2002, including John Q and Amélie, [September], The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Blade II [October] and 40 Days and 40 Nights [November]. Titles will be made available for VOD in the traditional pay-per-view window.

Once launched, Shaw’s VOD service will give customers the option to select from these and other programs through an online ordering system, and have the programming delivered to their television screens. VOD offers VCR-type functionality, including pause, rewind and fast forward options.