Etisalat to launch Catch Up TV in Dec

Etisalat will roll out a new service in December that allows television viewers to revisit aired content.

The chief executive of its broadcast service arm e-Vision said the service called Catch Up TV will launch for five channels and then extend to 50 through the course of next year.

E-Vision announced the service in October with initial plans to roll out the service this week.

However, CEO Humaid Rashid Sahoo Alsuwaidi told Emirates Business the service will only launch sometime in December.

The service, which will allow users to playback content up to three days old, will be offered free of cost for MBC, Abu Dhabi TV, Dubai One, Dubai TV and e-junior.

"We will grow this number to 50 channels next year," said Alsuwaidi. "Whether a viewer will be able to catch up on a day, two days, a week or even a month is totally dependent on the content providers. Right now we have an agreement for up to three days back. This is a new service, so we will have to see. We may need to extend or lower the number of days. We could make one channel one day, another channel three days."

Catch Up TV is primarily being targeted at viewers of news and sports channels.

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