A system for playing a digital television program, comprising a server and at least one digital television receiving terminal , wherein: the server presets a video on demand (VOD) protocol specification and transmits, according to the VOD protocol specification, a VOD service list and additional information of the VOD service list to the digital television receiving terminal in a broadcasting mode, wherein the server transmits the VOD service list and addition information of the VOD service list initiatively, i.e. without requiring the digital television receiving terminal to transmit a request for the VOD service list and additional information of the VOD service list; the digital television receiving terminal presets the VOD protocol specification and stores, according to the VOD protocol specification, the VOD service list and the additional information of the VOD service list transmitted by the VOD server into an on-demand program database (S903); and the digital television receiving terminal further matches relative programs in the on-demand program database (S903) according to a matching identifier input by a user, displays the programs to the user, receives a program on-demand request of the user, and obtains a television program from the server according to the program on-demand request to play the television program to the user, wherein, in the VOD protocol specification, a data structure in a data stream transmitted between the server and the digital television receiving terminal comprises: a linkage descriptor, a VOD service list section, a VOD service information section, a price reference descriptor, a picture data section, and audio/video segment insertion information. the server presets a video on demand (VOD) protocol specification and transmits, according to the VOD protocol specification, a VOD service list and additional information of the VOD service list to the digital television receiving terminal in a broadcasting mode, wherein the server transmits the VOD service list and addition information of the VOD service list initiatively, i.e. without requiring the digital television receiving terminal to transmit a request for the VOD service list and additional information of the VOD service list; the digital television receiving terminal presets the VOD protocol specification and stores, according to the VOD protocol specification, the VOD service list and the additional information of the VOD service list transmitted by the VOD server into an on-demand program database (S903); and the digital television receiving terminal further matches relative programs in the on-demand program database (S903) according to a matching identifier input by a user, displays the programs to the user, receives a program on-demand request of the user, and obtains a television program from the server according to the program on-demand request to play the television program to the user, wherein, in the VOD protocol specification, a data structure in a data stream transmitted between the server and the digital television receiving terminal comprises: a linkage descriptor, a VOD service list section, a VOD service information section, a price reference descriptor, a picture data section, and audio/video segment insertion information. a linkage descriptor, a VOD service list section, a VOD service information section, a price reference descriptor, a picture data section, and audio/video segment insertion information. <EOS>