Following last weeks soft launch of the Nine video streaming service 9Now, the network have today officially launched the platform. 9Now offers users a live simulcast stream of Channel Nine 24/7, with on demand catchup video content from its channels that include Nine, 9Gem, 9Go, and 9Life. Live streaming simulcasts of those channels will also be added to 9Now in the coming months.
To promote the launch, the first episode of Farmer Wants a Wife, which is due to air tonight on Nine, has been made available early via 9Now.
iOS and Android users can now download the 9Now app. Previous users of Nine’s Jumpin app will have noticed last week that the app updated to the new 9Now platform. 9Now is also now available via the FreeviewPlus HbbTV service. It will soon be available on connected TV services, such as Telstra TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Sony, Samsung, LG, PlayStation, Xbox and Fetch TV.
Users of 9Now are required to create an account for the service via Nine’s My9 registration service. Once users offer their name, email address, and location, they can then watch on demand content and access the simulcast video channels.
Media release:
9NOW LAUNCHES
Nine Entertainment Co. announced today that its new streaming and video on demand product, 9Now, has gone live.
9Now is the new way to access all of Channel Nine’s content – live and on demand, it’s a premium destination for live streaming, catch-up and on-demand content for Channel Nine. 9Gem, 9Go and 9Life – the other linear channels on the Nine platform – will also be available to stream in the coming months.
Alex Parsons, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer for Nine Entertainment Co., said: “9Now is a world-class product which we are incredibly proud to have launched. The team at Nine have worked hard across all divisions, from technical development to programming, to create a content service that can be enjoyed by all Australians anywhere, anytime, across all devices.
“Partnering up with global networks and suppliers to provide world-class technology, together with Nine’s premium content, has ensured that 9Now will deliver our premium content to the fingertips of all Australians in a seamless and simple experience. Users will have access to our content in HD, which is also unprecedented in Australia, and we will be continuing to rapidly innovate the way we distribute our content and connect with our consumers”
9Now will stream live content as well as offering all of Nine’s content to catch-up on – from Australia’s Got Talent to the Real Housewives franchise and every news bulletin across the day. 9Now is free. Users will be asked to login once, using a Facebook login or an email and password to enable the service to deliver relevant content, news and special offers, as well as user benefits such as being able to resume play on any video content across any device or platform.
A special bonus for users will include an early release of the first episode of the latest series of The Farmer Wants a Wife, from Sunday at 6.00pm until the launch of the program on Monday, February 1, at 8.35pm.Andrew Backwell, Nine’s Managing Director, Programming and Production, said: “We’re excited to exclusively launch episode one of The Farmer Wants a Wife on the new 9Now platform on Sunday night, and I’m looking forward to tracking our audience across their different devices and giving them more of what they want in 2016.
“9Now gives us the platform, the distribution and the analytics to reach and understand our audience even more than we do today. It’s been a great collaborative effort across the Nine business to launch 9Now and we all look forward to our audience live streaming and catching up on our great content.”
9Now has launched on web, IOS, Android and HBBTV, with other connected services to follow, including Telstra TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Sony, Samsung, LG, PlayStation, Xbox and Fetch TV.