At long last, shomi has been revealed.

Rogers Media and Shaw Media announced early Tuesday their partnership on the long-rumoured shomi, a subscription-based VOD service that aims to take on streaming video players like Netflix.

At a press conference Tuesday morning, Rogers Media president Keith Pelley, who co-presented with Shaw Media’s Barb Williams, SVP content, said that showmi will primarily feature library content from Shaw and Rogers’ programming, with a “complementary” windowing strategy to the mediaco’s other services. For instance, current-season content will be available on Rogers VOD service, with back seasons available on shomi. Williams’ said the same strategy applies to Shaw’s GO app, with current-season episodes stacked in the app, and back seasons on shomi.

As for original Canadian content, Pelley said it is “in our DNA” and said that it is planned for, although any announcements regarding original Cancon would be six months to a year away. Currently, exclusives for the service are focused on content that “Netflix hasn’t been able to get their hands on,” Williams said.

The service, which is currently in beta, will roll out in full at the start of November, for $8.99 a month. It is currently only available to Rogers or Shaw internet or TV customers; the companies say they hope to add other BDU partners in the months ahead. 

Up to six profiles will be available on each account – including the ability for kids profiles with parental controls – with users being able to watch content on two devices at once. Trailers and fact boxes for each program will also be available.

Pelley and Williams both emphasized the service’s interface, which Pelley said comprised a significant part of the investment and which he called “far superior” to Netflix.

At launch shomi will have over 14,000 titles, Williams said, including 11,000 hours of TV shows, 1,200 movies, 340 TV series, with 30% of that content being Canadian TV shows and films.

Also addressed in Tuesday’s press conference was the ability for shomi to be integrated into BDU set-top boxes; at present, it is only available through Shaw and Rogers boxes, but Pelley said he was confident that the service would be available via other BDU boxes by November.

– From Media in Canada with files from Playback