Montréal, January 29, 2009 illico Digital TV subscribers with high-definition (HD) service will be able to fully experience the excitement of Super Bowl XLIII and see all the U.S. commercials uncut. When the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals take to the field for Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1, 2009, Videotron will relay the NBC HD signal live on channel 652.
Front row seats
Videotron subscribers with an HD or standard illico set-top box will enjoy spectacular image and sound quality for one of the year's top sporting match-ups. Videotron is pleased to be able to carry this premier entertainment event, said Myrianne Collin, Vice President, Marketing, Consumer Divison of Videotron. illico HD subscribers will also get a couple of eagerly anticipated extras: the new U.S. commercials that will be aired for the first time during the Super Bowl and a sensational half-time show featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
The full and uncut broadcast of the Super Bowl will be available exclusively to subscribers equipped with an HD digital set-top box since NBC's standard and analog signal will be replaced by the signal from the Canadian network CTV on channel 7.
Videotron HD service
Videotron's illico Digital TV service carries 36 HD channels, including 18 French-language channels, the largest selection of French HD offerings in Videotron's service area. Videotron's illico on Demand service is also the only interactive service offering HD content in its service area.
Videotron Ltd. (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access services, cable telephony and wireless telephone service. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television system and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of September 30, 2008, Videotron was serving 1,691,500 cable television customers in Québec, including 876,700 illico Digital TV subscribers. Videotron is the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,031,400 subscribers to its cable modem service as of September 30, 2008. As of the same date, Videotron had activated 58,600 lines on its wireless telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to approximately 797,900 Québec households and organizations.
