Netflix rival Shomi launches today

Subscription on-demand service Shomi is launching today in Canada.

The service has been widely regarded as Canadian cable giants Rogers Communications and Shaw Communication’s response to the growth of Netflix in the territory.

Shomi will go live in beta today offering Shaw and Rogers customers access to programming from the likes of Sony Pictures Television, Disney, CBS, Starz, Fox, Warner Bros. and BBC Worldwide for C$8.99 (US$8) a month.

Shaw customers will get a month’s free access to the platform, with Shaw Internet customers getting an additional two months through a dedicated app and website.

Furthermore, Shomi will soon launch on Xbox 360 and Google Chromecast, and conversations with other DTH satellite providers over carriage are ongoing.

“We know what matters to entertainment lovers, and it was imperative to us to bring the human experience back to video entertainment,” said Shomi’s general manager Marc Dinsdale. “The more digital things become, the more human we need to be.

“By putting a face to the service in how we curate our content and collections – and not solely relying on algorithms – we are delivering the best of both worlds and giving our customers what they want.”

Shomi plans to offer more than 12,000 hours of programming by the end of its first year.

The service was first unveiled in August.