NPO preps premium Dutch VOD service with US movies

Dutch public broadcasting organisation NPO is set to launch a subscription video-on-demand service early next year, which will carry major US movies.

NPO Plus is designed to have less advertising and more content than the NPO’s existing free NPO Uitzending Gemist catch-up service.

The service will roll out on a one-year trial and will offer more premium programming for longer periods of time – including children’s shows and films including Slumdog Millionaire and The Artist, which have appeared on TV but not remained online afterwards.

NPO said that later it may also introduce options to buy top documentaries, like the BBC’s nature series Frozen Planet and Africa, as well as series like Wallander and Midsomer Murders.

NPO said that NPO Plus will also offer “significantly better picture and sound quality suited for watching on smart TVs.”

The news comes after NPO launched a new NPO.nl website in June, in a bid to simplify its web presence with fewer but more effective sites.