Bell TV First to Offer 100 HD Channels in Canada

Bell TV, which serves nearly two-million subscribers in Canada, said this week that it has become the first TV content distributor in the country to reach the century mark in HD channels.

The cabler has a leg up on its American counterparts, who could not have done what the Canadian firm did due to the simple fact that many Canadians watch a lot of American television. To reach the 100 HD channel goal, Bell added a few American major-market broadcast stations, including KTLA HD in Los Angeles (DMA 2), WPIX HD in New York City (DMA 1), WSBK HD in Boston (DMA 7), as well as cable's AMC HD.

"Reaching 100 HD channels is a significant milestone that both enhances our lead in the industry [in Canada], and supports our strategic imperative to leverage our wireline momentum here at Bell," the firm said.

Bell TV, which is barely a dozen years old (and used to be known as Bell ExpressVu) has two primary competitors in Canada: Rogers Cable (the largest TV provider) and Shaw Communications.