2008 news releases

SASKTEL NOW OFFERS DISNEY MOVIES ON DEMAND

SaskTel Max now offers on-demand movies from every major Hollywood studio

January 7, 2008

SaskTel today announced that it has entered into a multi-year video-on-demand distribution agreement with Disney-ABC International Television for feature films from Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Animation, Pixar and Touchstone Pictures.  With this agreement, SaskTel Max™ customers have access to films from every major studio, on demand and commercial-free.

Disney-ABC International Television, the international television distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, will provide titles for SaskTel’s Max Front Row™ video-on-demand service.  This agreement allows SaskTel to provide Max Front Row customers with access to The Walt Disney Studios’ impressive line up of current releases and its existing film library.

“This agreement with Disney-ABC International Television for Disney movies expands the choices our Max Front Row service has to offer our more than 62,000 Max customers,” said Robert Watson, SaskTel President and CEO.  “SaskTel will continue to work hard to deliver our customers more product enhancements and value-added services that will increase the overall quality and selection of our Max product offering.”

With Max Front Row, viewers do not have to watch movies at pre-designated times, unlike traditional pay-per-view services.  Movies are accessed through a set-top box and a customer’s television for 24 hours and can be viewed as often as desired during that period.  Customers also have the ability to fast forward, rewind, pause or stop the movies while they are watching.

Disney-ABC International Television will provide recent hit movies such as Meet The Robinsons, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Ratatouille, Underdog, and The Game Plan.  In addition, SaskTel will have access to Disney-ABC International Television’s vast library of titles including such hits as Father Of The Bride, Lilo & Stitch, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and The Sixth Sense.

About SaskTel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation (SaskTel) is the leading full service communications provider in Saskatchewan, offering competitive voice, data, dial-up and high speed internet, entertainment and multimedia services, security, web hosting, text and messaging services, and cellular and wireless data services over its digital networks.  The Corporation also provides security monitoring services through SecurTek, directory services through DirectWest, in-room communications services to the healthcare sector through Hospitality Network, telecommunications consulting service through SaskTel International and an out-of-province sales and service channel in Alberta and British Columbia. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 5,100 full-time, part-time and temporary employees. Visit SaskTel at www.sasktel.com.

About Disney-ABC International Television
Disney-ABC International Television is the international television distribution division of The Walt Disney Company, licensing over 30,000 hours of programming to over 1300 broadcasters across 240 territories worldwide. Disney-ABC International Television distributes a portfolio of motion pictures from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films, network TV series, TV movies and miniseries, Disney-branded kids programming, ABC Daytime and ABC News programming as well as the Annual Academy Awards®. The company also services the distribution of the Jetix Europe portfolio internationally. Disney-ABC International Television has been expanding its business portfolio to distribute U.S. - produced reality programs and exploits reality and scripted formats for local production; including local editions of ‘Extreme Makeover’ in the UK, India, Belgium, Scandinavia, Hungary and Colombia; ‘The Amazing Race’ in Central Europe, Asia, and Brazil; local versions of 'Home Improvement' and 'Hope & Faith' in Russia and Turkey respectively; and local versions of Desperate Housewives in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and US Hispanic Market.

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of $35.5 billion in its most recent fiscal year, and a market capitalization of more than $63 billion as of December 19th, 2007

For more information, please contact:

Andy Tate, SaskTel Media Relations
(306) 777-4548
andy.tate@sasktel.sk.ca