Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view is the system in which television viewers can purchase events to be seen on TV and pay for the private telecast of that event to their homes later. The event is shown at the same time to everyone ordering it, as opposed to video on demand systems, which allows viewers to see the event at any time. Events can be purchased using an on-screen guide, an automated telephone system, or through a live customer service representative. Events include feature films, sporting events, and adult movies.
History
Pay-per-view has been around since the 1970s, when the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers began using the system after winning the championship in the 1977 season. During that time, it was operated on a few pay-TV services such as Z Channel, SelecTV and ON TV in select markets throughout the 80s.
In 1985, the first U.S. cable channels devoted to Pay-Per-View, Viewer's Choice Canada, Cable Video Store, and Request Television began operation within days of each other. Viewers Choice was available to both home satellite dish and cable customers, while Request was available to cable viewers, but would not be available to dish owners until the 1990s.
However, the term "pay-per-view" wasn't widely used until the 1990s, when companies like In Demand, HBO and Showtime started using the system to show movies and some of their productions. In Demand would show movies, concerts and other events, with prices ranging from $3.99 to $49.99, while HBO and Showtime, with their legs TVKO and SET Pay Per View would offer championship boxing, with prices ranging from $14.99 to $54.99.
ESPN has shown college football and basketball games on pay-per-view. The boxing undercard, Latin Fury, shown on June 28 of 2003, became ESPN's first boxing pay-per-view card and also the first pay-per-view boxing card held in Puerto Rico. Pay-per-view is also a very important revenue stream for professional wrestling companies like WWE, which shows 14+ pay-per-view events a year, and TNA, which initially offered weekly pay-per-view in lieu of a national cable television show but now offer monthly pay-per-views like WWE.
Availability
In the U.S., two direct-to-home (DTH) digital broadcast satellite (DBS) providers: DirecTV and Dish Network, allow customers to order with the remote control. The unit later calls out using an 800 number and connect via modem, adding the cost of the movie to the account. Digital cable subscribers also have this capability, using the bidirectional capabilities of digital cable technology instead of a telephone line. Similar systems are in use by Sky Digital in the United Kingdom, Foxtel and Optus in Australia.
In Canada, Viewer's Choice offers pay-per-view services through various Canadian satellite TV and digital cable television providers, including Rogers Digital Cable, Bell ExpressVu and StarChoice. Prices range from $4.99 CDN for movies, up to $20 CDN or more for special events.
Pay-per-view has also been introduced in Europe and many other areas of the world. In the UK, Sky's PremPlus and Sky Box Office services have proved popular with viewers.