CraveTV™, Bell Media’s preeminent streaming service, celebrates its one-year anniversary today, capping off an incredible 365 days of milestones. Over the past year, the premium TV streaming service has completed distribution deals with television providers across Canada, including Bell, Eastlink, and Telus; launched on new platforms including Apple TV and Chromecast; signed exclusive content deals for iconic HBO and SHOWTIME programming; obtained titles from every major Hollywood studio including, Warner Bros., Disney ABC, 20th Century Fox, SONY, CBS Studios, NBCUniversal and others; debuted exclusive first-run series including MANHATTAN, BOSCH, and HAPPYISH; and launched entire exclusive catalogues of timeless comedy franchises such as SOUTH PARK and SEINFELD. Earlier this year, CraveTV announced its first-ever original series LETTERKENNY, a six-part comedy based on the Youtube mega-hit Letterkenny Problems, which has clocked in more than 10 million views to date. LETTERKENNY premieres February 7 on CraveTV, a.k.a., Super Bowl Friggin’ Sunday. In mid-January 2016, some of the best is yet to come when CraveTV becomes available to all Canadians with access to the Internet, featuring the highly anticipated, star-studded, high-stakes SHOWTIME drama BILLIONS.
“Looking back on a remarkable first year, it is mission accomplished,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. “We’re proud of the incredible CraveTV lineup and even prouder to see how many Canadians have signed on in our first year. We can’t wait for the entire country to join us next month.”
Below is a look at some of the highlights of the past year:
CraveTV’s Most Popular Programming
With the breadth and depth of quality television programming available on CraveTV, some clear frontrunners have emerged, with subscribers revealing what they crave the most*:
- Most Popular Series: ENTOURAGE
- Favourite Drama: THE SOPRANOS
- Favourite Comedy: SOUTH PARK
- Favourite Canadian Series: ORPHAN BLACK
- Most-Binged Program: THE AFFAIR
- Biggest Single-Day Launch: Dec. 23, 2014, SEINFELD
- Favourite Documentary: THE SIXTIES
- Favourite Reality Program: GIGOLOS
- Fastest Series To Reach a Million Views: SOUTH PARK
- Most Viewed Special: THE ROAST OF DONALD TRUMP
CraveTV Milestones
As CraveTV heads into its sophomore year, momentous milestones from Year One:
- Oct. 30, 2014: Bell Media announces it will launch new streaming service devoted to exceptional TV, codenamed “Project Latte”
- Nov. 5, 2014: Bell Media announces HBO’s entire off-air library (titles like THE SOPRANOS, SEX AND THE CITY, ENTOURAGE) will be available on “Project Latte”, along with the first distributors to sign on to deliver the service
- Nov. 10, 2014: Bell Media announces it has secured rights for the entireMonty Python collection for its “Project Latte” service
- Nov. 21, 2014: Bell Media announces landmark exclusive deal for the entireSEINFELD catalogue for its “Project Latte” service
- Nov. 24, 2014: Bell Media announces critically acclaimed Lionsgate dramaMANHATTAN as the first exclusive series on its “Project Latte” service
- Dec. 11, 2014: CraveTV officially launches to consumers at $4/month
- Dec. 12, 2014: After 91 hours, CraveTV breaks Guinness Book of World Record for Longest TV-Watching Marathon
- Jan. 4, 2015: HBO’s iconic drama THE WIRE debuts on CraveTV, digitally remastered and in High Definition
- Jan. 14, 2015: CraveTV acquires Amazon Studios’ first original hour-long drama, BOSCH
- Feb. 9, 2015: CraveTV announces exclusive content agreement withTwentieth Century Fox Television Distribution for series like HOMELAND and LEGENDS
- Feb. 23, 2015: CraveTV announces the launch of The SHOWTIME Collection, anchored by full seasons of renowned, award-winning SHOWTIME series including THE AFFAIR, RAY DONOVAN, PENNY DREADFUL, HOMELAND, UNITED STATES OF TARA, WEEDS, NURSE JACKIE, and more.
- March 5, 2015: CraveTV announces its first original production, the Canadian comedy series LETTERKENNY
- March 18, 2015: CraveTV extends its reach with four new distributors: Hay Communications, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, Tuckersmith Communications, and Wightman Telecom
- March 31, 2015: CraveTV announces that SHOWTIME series HAPPYISHwill launch exclusively on the service
- May 5, 2015: CraveTV begins streaming on Apple TV
- May 7, 2015: CraveTV becomes first Canadian streaming service to offerChromecast capability
- July 13, 2015: CraveTV announces it will become available direct to consumers in January 2016
- July 23, 2015: CraveTV partners with Samsung to make service available on Samsung Smart TVs and connected Blu-Rays
- July 1, 2015: Every episode of SOUTH PARK launches on CraveTV, in time for Canada Day
- August – November, 2015: New programming and curated collection announcements from CraveTV include: expansion of the HBO Collection with HBO documentary films like GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF, PARADISE LOST, IN VOGUE: THE EDITOR’S EYE, and more; the launch of THE FLASH; the debut of THE ROYALS; theHalloween Collection; the Sports Collection; and the Holiday