Verizon FiOS Video on Demand gets 'HSM 2' preview

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Verizon FiOS TV Video-on-Demand Customers Will Be Among First to See Disney's 'High School Musical 2'

Customers Can See Highly Anticipated Movie Prior to Its Disney Channel Premiere, Enter Sweepstakes on http://VerizonSurround.com, and Access a Brand New Game in Disney Connection.

NEW YORK, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon FiOS TV Video on Demand customers will get a first look at the summer's hottest television movie phenomenon -- the premiere of Disney Channel's "High School Musical 2."

The highly anticipated sequel to the Disney Channel Original Movie "High School Musical" will be available on FiOS TV's Video on Demand library prior to the movie's worldwide premiere on Aug. 17 on Disney Channel. Verizon also will launch a public sweepstakes in the Kids area of the Verizon Surround entertainment portal (http://verizonsurround.com/kids).

The sweepstakes will offer a grand prize of the ultimate barbeque party for the winner's school or community organization, complete with a visit from one of the "High School Musical 2" cast members, as well as daily instant-win prizes. In addition to entering the sweepstakes on http://VerizonSurround.com/kids, Verizon's more than 7 million FiOS Internet and Verizon High Speed Internet customers can also access "High School Musical 2" content in Disney Connection, including a brand new game, behind-the-scenes video footage and a complete guide to planning a "High School Musical 2" party. "

The buzz around the release of 'High School Musical 2' is at a fever pitch, and we're delighted that our FiOS TV Video on Demand customers will be among the first to see it," said Terry Denson, vice president - VerizonFiOS TV content and programming. "Our sweepstakes, plus the online content from Disney Connection, give our broadband customers additional enjoyment of this entertainment phenomenon. This is the kind of enriched experiencethat customers expect from Verizon and that sets us apart from other entertainment providers."

Verizon provides FiOS TV and Internet services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network that reaches all the way to customers' homes.FiOS Internet, available in parts of 16 states, provides downstream connection speeds as high as up to 30 to 50 Mbps (megabits per second), andupstream connection speeds as high as up to 10 Mbps. Verizon FiOS TV offers a broad collection of all-digital programming, more than 20 high-definition channels, 8,600 video-on-demand titles and more. The company offers Verizon High Speed Internet service, based on DSL technology, in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speechesand biographies, media contacts, high quality video and images, and otherinformation are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web athttp://www.verizon.com/news.

SOURCE Verizon

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Record Numbers Watch Disney Channel's
'High School Musical 2' Preview on
Verizon FiOS TV's Video on Demand

Popularity of 'On Demand' Service Continues to Grow

NEW YORK, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon FiOS TV video-on-demand customers in record numbers watched an advance showing of Disney Channel's "High School Musical 2" last week, as the popularity of VOD on FiOS TV continues to soar.

"Our customers were among the first to see the summer's hottest television movie phenomenon, and we are thrilled with the response," saidT erry Denson, vice president -- Verizon FiOS TV content and programming." Customers jumped at the chance to see the sneak peek, which in many markets was only available on FiOS TV. This is another example of the enriched entertainment experiences available through Verizon."

The highly anticipated sequel to the Disney Channel Original Movie "High School Musical" was available on FiOS TV's On Demand library a week prior to the movie's worldwide Aug. 17 premiere on Disney Channel. It quickly became the single most-watched VOD title in Verizon FiOS TV history, and viewings continue to add up. "High School Musical 2" will be available on Verizon VOD until Sept. 30.

In addition to the VOD showings, Verizon's more than 7 million FiOS Internet and Verizon High Speed Internet customers can access "High School Musical 2" content in Disney Connection within the Kids area of the VerizonSurround entertainment portal (http://www.verizonsurround.com/kids). The content includes a brand-new game, behind-the-scenes video footage and a complete guide to planning a "High School Musical 2" party. The public canal so visit Verizon Surround to enter a sweepstakes for a grand prize of the ultimate barbeque party for the winner's school or community organization, complete with a visit from one of the "High School Musical 2" cast members.

Video-on-Demand Activity Increases Tenfold

"High School Musical 2" is the latest addition to Verizon's video-on-demand service, which is more popular than ever among FiOS TV customers. Monthly VOD activity on Verizon FiOS TV reached 10 million requests inJuly, a tenfold increase in 10 months, driven in part by the growth of FiOSTV's customer base and On Demand library. Verizon now has more than 8,600 titles available on demand per month, and more than 60 percent of them are free to FiOS TV customers.

Verizon's selection of on-demand programs and films crosses many genres and touches all age groups and interests. Its collection of on-demand programming for children is one of the largest in the industry. In addition to a portfolio of more than 100 Disney Channel titles, Verizon also offers family-friendly titles from Discovery Kids, Nickelodeon, PBS Kids Sprout and other programmers.

SOURCE Verizon