UK ISP Carphone Warehouse is considering the launch of an IPTV service following its €276 million acquisition of Tiscali UK last week.
The acquisition included Tiscali TV, a service that provides its 50,000 customers with Freeview channels and video-on-demand content via set-top box. Under the deal, Carphone Warehouse will take on Tiscali’s 1.45 million broadband and 300,000 dial-up customers under its Talk Talk broadband brand.
In an interview with the FT, Carphone Warehouse CEO Charles Dunstone said he was attracted to the BBC’s Hulu-esque initiative Project Canvas, which allows consumers to watch TV and video-on-demand from a range of content providers via a broadband-enabled set-top box.
“We might say Canvas isn't the answer and we will go and reinvigorate Tiscali TV,” he told the FT.
Project Canvas, which includes partners BBC, ITV and BT, has yet to receive BBC Trust approval for commercialization.
