MUMBAI: American entertainment firm Rainbow HD Holdings and Tangerine Global, which provides entertainment for the hospitality industry have signed an agreement.
As per the deal, Rainbow will deliver Voom packages of high definition (HD) and video on demand (VOD) programming from the Voom HD Networks to the Mandarin Oriental luxury hotels run by Tangerine Global outside the US.
The first Voom package of HD and VOD programming launched under the agreement will be delivered in December at Mandarin Oriental's The Landmark Hotel in Hong Kong, and will be the first package of HD programming to be made available in Hong Kong. It also represents the first launch of a Voom package of HD programming internationally and the first offering of Voom HD programming on a VOD basis outside the US.
The Voom package of HD and VOD programming is the first outcome of Rainbow Media’s recently announced international expansion initiative. According to terms of the agreement, Hong Kong's The Landmark Hotel will offer a Voom package that includes programming from four Voom HD Networks.
They are Rush HD, the action adventure extreme sports network; Ultra HD, a network for women that features style, fashion and entertainment programming; Equator, an exploration of world’s most intriguing people and places with intelligent travel, nature and cultural programs; and Gallery. Rainbow states that this is the first and only HD visual arts network featuring the most interesting artists on the planet. Selected HD programming from the Voom HD Networks will also be made available to hotel guests on a video-on-demand basis.
In addition to The Landmark Hotel, Mandarin Oriental also owns two other luxury hotels in Hong Kong – The Excelsior and Mandarin Oriental – as well as luxury hotel properties in Asia (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Manila, Singapore, Surabaya and Tokyo), Europe (Geneva, London, Munich, Paris) and a property slated to open on the Mexican Riviera in 2006.
The hotel chain plans to launch similar packages of Voom HD and VOD programming in each of these locations as the properties are upgraded for HD technology in the coming months and years. Offering HD programming is a key component in Mandarin Oriental's strategy to attract executive business travelers to its premiere hotel and resort destinations.
Rainbow states that the Voom HD Networks is the largest suite of high definition channels available anywhere, and is produced exclusively in high definition for distribution in the US through satellite and cable operators. The Voom HD Networks carry programming in categories as diverse as sports, movies, fashion, music and art. Today, the Voom HD Networks are available in the US on Echostar's Dish Network. The Voom HD Networks were developed by Rainbow Media to meet the growing demand for quality HD content.
