EQT plans to exit Taiwan’s GTV

Sweden-based private equity fund, EQT Partners, is proposing to sell its controlling stake in Taiwanese pay- TV group, Gala Television (GTV) for NTD 6 billion (USD 200 million). EQT had acquired 96.5% stake in GTV in February, 2011.

Gala TV runs four commercial cable and satellite television channels namely GTV One, GTV Variety Show, GTV Drama and GTV Channel K. The pay-TV’s content includes in-house produced, commissioned and acquired material which is broadcast for both domestic and overseas viewers in places such as China and Southeast Asia.

As per reports, domestic industrial conglomerate, Formosa Plastics Group and local financial investors are the potential buyers of GTV.

Rostelecom makes capital gains

The Onlime service operated by Rostelecom saw its digital TV subscriber total in Moscow increase by 45% in 2013.

To date, its customer total stands at over 200,000.

Growth in the service was helped by the addition of thematic channels and packages, with one of the latter – Nash Futbol – for instance seeing its take-up increase five-fold since 2012.

Onlime’s HD package meanwhile saw its audience grow by over 60%, while one in ten Onlime subscribers opted for its movie package Cinema.

Separately, quoting iKS-Consulting, Vedomosti reports that Rostelecom increased its broadband subscriber total in Moscow, excluding new, outlying parts of the city, by 40% to 604,000 households in 2013.

In total, there were 3.8 million broadband subscribers in what is now termed ‘old Moscow’, or 130,000 more than a year earlier, with other fixed broadband providers, including the market leader MTS and cable operator Akado, having recorded more modest increases in their customer totals.

KPN looks to continue DTT service Digitenne

While the Dutch giovernment is looking at the future of digital terrestrial broadcasting, operator KPN said it hopes to continue the Digitenne service after 2017.

KPN will continue to offer the digital terrestrial TV service Digitenne until at least 2017, the company confirmed to Dutch telco news siteTelecompaper.

KPN holds the spectrum licences until January 31 2017, but no decision has been taken yet on the period thereafter. KPN is selling the Digitenne service as an addition to its IPTV service. It offers a bouquet of channels including the main commercial Dutch broadcasters as well as a selection of international channels including VRT, BBC 1 and BBC2. The monthly subscription fee is €12.50. At the end of 2013, KPN had 591,000 Digitenne customers.

The Dutch public broafcasters, both national and regional, transmit their signals over the DTT network free-to-air.

The operator said it expects to continue to offer the service after 2017, noting the DTT service is still used by many customers, especially for second TVs. KPN uses the DVB-T standard for Digitenne and has no plans to upgrade to DVB-T2.

The Dutch government is still considering the future of the DTT service. However any decision will depend on coordination with the EU, where some states are already considering migrating the 700 MHz band to mobile services.

Just recently, Telenet decided to end its DTT platform Teletenne, as it did not generate enough business.

Romanian cable on a roll

Cable was the big winner last year in Romania’s pay-TV market, which grew by 5.7% to 6.4 million subscribers, according to the latest data published by the regulator ANCOM.

As of the end of 2013, 85.1% of Romanian households were benefitting from TV programme retransmission services.

Of the 6.4 million subscribers, 4.1 million opted for cable (+8.7% year-on-year), 2.2 million DTH (-0.2%) and 56,000 IP (+49%).

While the penetration rate per household grew by 4 percntage points to 85.1%, that for cable reached 55.1%. The majority (62%) of subscribers lived in urban areas, and of these 81% opted for cable.

On the other hand, 61% of rural subscribers chose DTH as their method of reception.

The take-up of digital cable services grew by 25% to 1.5 million in 2013, while overall digital services accounted for 3.7 million of the total of 6.4 million subscribers, a 7.4% increase on a year earlier.

DTH accounted for the most digital subscribers (59%) but digital cable subscribers registered the largest increase in 2013 and IPTV subscribers the highest percentage growth (49%).

The total number of subscribers to packages of electronic services sold for a single price was 2.9 million, while the total number of subscribers to multiple packages amounted to 8.7 million.

Ziggo: TV down, broadband and bundles up

Dutch operator Ziggo has said that during the first quarter its internet subscriber total increased by 38,000 and All-in-1 bundle by 20,000.

However, digital pay-TV revenues were down 4.3% y-o-y due to a 16,000 decline in subscribers, partly offset by an ARPU increase and an uptake in VOD.

Total internet subscribers reached 1.95 million at the end of Q1, 2014, representing 2.0% sequential growth and 7.5% y-o-y growth.

All-in-1 bundle subscribers were up 20,000 (incl. 3,800 triple play business bundles) in Q1 to a total of 1.56 million, resulting in 1.3% sequential growth and 7.0% y-o-y growth. All-in-1 penetration now reaches 57.1% of Ziggo’s consumer customer base

Digital pay-TV revenue was down 4.3% y-o-y due to a 16,000 decline in subscribers, partly offset by an ARPU increase and an uptake in VOD. Consumer ARPU for the quarter up 3.6% y-o-y to €43.07.

“Clearly, the recommended offer on Ziggo from Liberty Global, which was announced on January 27, was the most important event for the company during the first quarter. We believe that the combination of the two Dutch cable companies offers a great opportunity for all stakeholders as it allows us to jointly invest and provide even better services to our customers,” said CEO René Obermann in a statement.

“When we focus on the operational developments in the quarter, we see a continuation of the operational trends from the second half of 2013: continued RGU growth for both consumer and B2B, particularly in broadband internet. Similar to the last two quarters, growth in internet RGUs has exceeded growth in triple play subscriptions following the success of our double play TV and internet offering which particularly addresses the ‘mobile-only’ telephony households. The success of our internet is strongly supported by WifiSpots as well as on-going speed increases of up to 180Mbit/s as recently announced. We expect our announced speed increase to make us even more competitive in broadband and support further growth in this area. For Ziggo mobile we recorded 30,000 net adds in the first quarter, in line with the previous quarter.”

Obermann also stated that “Until if and when the merger closes, which is expected to happen in Q3/4, we will run the company completely independent. Our management team is committed to delivering the targeted financial results, whilst aiming to outperform our Dutch peers on revenue growth at the same time.”

Norking switches off Teletenne DVB-T2 platform

APRIL 9, 2014 10.41 EUROPE/LONDON BY ROBERT BRIEL

Following Telenet’s decision to drop its digital terrestrial platform Teletenne due to low take up of subscribers, Norkring has now switched off the multiplexes.

However, the multiplex from Belgian public broadcaster VRT remains on the air, as well as the broadcast from French language public broadcaster RTBF and Télé Bruxelles on its own frequency in Brussels.

The service was launched less than two years ago in June 2012, but failed to attract enough subscribers.

This is not the first time that a pay-DTT platform has failed. In Italy,Dahlia TV has gone into liquidation in 2011

In France the pay-DTT services are also having a hard time, with at least two channels (LCI and Paris Première) trying to get the CSA’s approval of going free-to-air.

Middle East presents huge growth opportunities for Pay TV industry

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014 | 1 | 2 | Next Page»

Middle East Presents Huge Growth Opportunities for Pay TV Industry, According to New IHS Report

• Market quadruples in just 10 years; Fastest regional growth globally

LONDON — IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), a leading global source of critical information and insight, today announced key findings from its annual Middle East Media Market Monitor. The report estimates that at the end of 2013, 4.35 million households in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region subscribed to at least one Pay TV service.

“There are 300 million households in the region and it is growing faster than any other emerging market,” said report author Constantinos Papavassilopoulos, senior analyst at IHS Technology. “That presents huge opportunities for businesses in this sector. Last year was the third in a row and the eighth since 2004 where Pay TV penetration rates grew. We expect those numbers to grow in the years ahead.”

Key findings:

• The MENA Pay TV market grew rapidly in 2013, as it has done for eight of the last 10 years, reaching 4.35 million subscribers (9.4 percent of the households in the region);
• 2013 growth was primarily supported by an impressive rise in satellite operator OSN’s customers;
• High IPTV uptake contributed equally to last year’s Pay TV growth;
• Satellite’s dominance, as a TV platform, rests unabated in the MENA region;
• BeIN Sports Arabia and OSN are forming a virtual duopoly in MENA’s satellite Pay TV market; and
• A large HD channel offer is not complemented by a clear and concrete monetization strategy.

“We examined 13 countries in MENA and looked at data across the operator and technology levels, OTT business models as well as mobile and fixed broadband dynamics. The report is the result of insights across the Media and Telcoms teams that examine both risks and opportunities for businesses operating in the region,” Papavassilopoulos said.

The MENA Pay TV market grew rapidly in 2013

Last year the Pay TV market grew 11.2 percent in terms of market share and 14.13 percent in terms of subscriber numbers. Over the last decade (2004 – 2013) the number of primary Pay TV subscribers almost quadrupled from 1.33 million in 2004 to 4.35 million in 2013, growing at an annual average rate of 14.64 percent. The Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain) account for two out of three Pay TV households (or 66 percent of the total). There are huge disparities in the uptake of Pay TV services across the region where UAE has the highest penetration rate at 85 percent and Egypt the lowest with just 2.4 percent.

2013 growth was primarily supported by an impressive rise in satellite operator OSN’s customers; High IPTV uptake contributed equally to last year’s Pay TV growth

Dubai-based OSN executed a policy of attracting new customers (through acquisitions and enrichment of its content offer) and of targeting new markets that has paid off. Between Q4 2012 and Q4 2013, OSN’s subscriber base increased by 32.3 percent.

One in four Pay TV households (25.56 percent) now take an IPTV offer while just four years earlier (in 2009) only one out of 15 Pay TV households subscribed to an IPTV package. IPTV uptake was highest in the UAE and Qatar. In the UAE, IPTV is the largest Pay TV platform, accounting for 70.82 percent of the market, while in Qatar, Ooredoo’s IPTV service (Mozaic TV) controls the largest market share among all Pay TV operators with 32 percent.

Pay TV penetration grows throughout Argentina during 2013

(En 2013 la penetración de TV Paga creció a lo largo de todo el territorio argentino)

Friday, April 4th, 2014 

Penetration is extremely high in the country’s central and south regions, exceeding 90% in 7 provinces

BUENOS AIRES — LAMAC, the entity that represents 49 Pay TV channels, developed a second report about Pay TV’s national reach up to date, that enquires about the geographic differences.

This report by LAMAC evidences a significant growth during the past year, not only for the total universe but also for the penetration percentage in households that have access to Pay TV throughout the country, ratifying its strength as a national medium.

The report also allows a deeper geographical analysis of the medium, offering a map with penetration figures in each of the country’s provinces.

The numbers released by LAMAC, signal to Pay TV’s sustained and steady growth in all of Argentina, while maintaining the historical geographic disparities. This highlights the medium’s high penetration central and southern provinces while they lag in the northern provinces.

Finally, the report also casts light into the geographic differences of the Pay TV service through Cable and the service via Satellite or DTH.

Below see the most relevant numbers of the report:

• Pay TV’s penetration is 80%, considering all of the country’s provinces with specific population figures.
• The highest Pay TV penetration numbers belong to the southern provinces, higher than 90% in all of them: La Pampa, Neuquén, Rio Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.
• The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and Gran Buenos Aires are highlighted as well due to their very high Pay TV penetration, close to 90%.
• Provinces densely populated also register a high Pay TV penetration, and are aligned with national averages: Mendoza, Córdoba, Santa Fe and Buenos Aires are placed in that order, from greater to lesser.
• The country’s northeast is the most staggered in terms of Pay TV development. Santiago del Estero, is highlighted as the medium only reaches a penetration of 50%. Some of the other provinces with limitations are Misiones, Formosa, Chaco and Tucumán.
• Homes in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires Access Pay TV services mainly through cable services. However, satellite services (or DTH) are very developed in some other provinces: Catamarca, Chubut, La Rioja, Mendoza, Neuquén, Rio Negro, San Juan and San Luis.

Pay TV penetration by province:

Source: LAMAC, January 2014. Homes with Pay TV (Cable + DTH), over Homes with TV by province.

The numbers released by LAMAC were calculated based on a proprietary methodology but considering partial data from member channels as well as other industry organizations. The figures include households reported officially by Pay TV distributors throughout the country as well as households not reported officially but that access Pay TV.

The “universe” references the total number of homes with access to Pay. The “penetration” refers to the percentage of homes with Access to Pay TV calculated over the total of homes with TV.

MultiChoice expands DTT distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa with Intelsat

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 

MultiChoice Expands Digital Terrestrial Television Distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa on Intelsat 904

LUXEMBOURG — Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, today announced that African direct-to-home operator, MultiChoice, is leveraging Intelsat capacity to expand the reach of its digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Under the agreement, MultiChoice, a pioneer in the Sub-Saharan African market, will expand its C-band capacity on Intelsat 904 at 60º East to distribute content to its terrestrial towers for DTT services. Intelsat 904 enables MultiChoice to further expand its DTT GOtv product offering to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where it is already present, including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Namibia and Malawi, and to target new countries.

“Intelsat is our primary partner for media satellite solutions in Africa, serving as our platform of choice for our Southern African direct-to-home (DTH) services and our DTT offerings. With Intelsat, we are able to broaden our reach in Sub-Saharan Africa and deliver more affordable and differentiated programming to the region,” said Nico Meyer, CEO MultiChoice Africa. “DTT is an important growth area for MultiChoice, and the quality, reliability and reach of Intelsat’s satellite network enable us to continue to expand our customer base and grow our GOtv product offering across the continent.”

Intelsat currently provides proven DTT solutions in Africa, supported by advanced technologies that facilitate efficient use of bandwidth and improved reception quality, enabling African audiences to enjoy the benefits of digital television. Intelsat also hosts premium video distribution neighborhoods serving all of the populated continents, offering excellent viewer penetration for popular content within and outside the continent.

“Intelsat has a strong track record of supporting DTT and DTH deployments throughout Africa,” said Grant Marais, Intelsat’s Regional Vice President, Africa Sales. “Intelsat 904 C-band provides MultiChoice with unparalleled reception quality, reliability and reach, enabling them to expand their DTT service offerings in Sub-Saharan Africa. As DTT signals allow for more efficient use of spectrum, MultiChoice will be able to provide existing and new customers with more differentiated content at very competitive prices.”

Intelsat will be exhibiting at the NABSHOW 2014, the world’s largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, beginning April 7-10, 2014. You can visit Intelsat at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the South Upper Hall, Booth SU 3110.

Mid East pay-TV subs at 4.35m

APRIL 9, 2014 16.00 EUROPE/LONDON BY BROADBAND TV NEWS CORRESPONDENT

At the end of 2013, 4.35 million households in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region subscribed to at least one pay-TV service.

The figure is revealed in the annualMiddle East Media Market Monitorfrom IHS.

“There are 300 million households in the region and it is growing faster than any other emerging market,” said report author Constantinos Papavassilopoulos, senior analyst at IHS Technology.

“That presents huge opportunities for businesses in this sector. Last year was the third in a row and the eighth since 2004 where Pay TV penetration rates grew. We expect those numbers to grow in the years ahead.”

Key findings: the MENA Pay TV market grew rapidly in 2013, as it has done for eight of the last 10 years, reaching 4.35 million subscribers (9.4% of the households in the region);
2013 growth was primarily supported by an impressive rise in satellite operator OSN’s customers; and high IPTV uptake contributed equally to last year’s Pay TV growth;

BeIN Sports Arabia and OSN are forming a virtual duopoly in MENA’s satellite Pay TV market; and a large HD channel offer is not complemented by a clear and concrete monetization strategy.

“We examined 13 countries in MENA and looked at data across the operator and technology levels, OTT business models as well as mobile and fixed broadband dynamics. The report is the result of insights across the Media and Telcoms teams that examine both risks and opportunities for businesses operating in the region,” Papavassilopoulos said.

Last year the Pay TV market grew 11.2% in terms of market share and 14.13% in terms of subscriber numbers. Over the last decade (2004 – 2013) the number of primary Pay TV subscribers almost quadrupled from 1.33 million in 2004 to 4.35 million in 2013, growing at an annual average rate of 14.64%. The Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain) account for two out of three Pay TV households (or 66% of the total). There are huge disparities in the uptake of Pay TV services across the region where UAE has the highest penetration rate at 85 percent and Egypt the lowest with just 2.4%.

2013 growth was primarily supported by an impressive rise in satellite operator OSN’s customers; High IPTV uptake contributed equally to last year’s Pay TV growth

Dubai-based OSN executed a policy of attracting new customers (through acquisitions and enrichment of its content offer) and of targeting new markets that has paid off. Between Q4 2012 and Q4 2013, OSN’s subscriber base increased by 32.3%.

One in four Pay TV households (25.56%) now take an IPTV offer while just four years earlier (in 2009) only one out of 15 Pay TV households subscribed to an IPTV package. IPTV uptake was highest in the UAE and Qatar. In the UAE, IPTV is the largest Pay TV platform, accounting for 70.82% of the market, while in Qatar, Ooredoo’s IPTV service (Mozaic TV) controls the largest market share among all Pay TV operators with 32%.

Satellite’s dominance, as a TV platform, rests unabated in the MENA region

For the vast majority of MENA countries, satellite continues to be the pre-eminent service for receiving television signals, both encrypted and free-to-air (FTA). In 2013 it exceeded a 90% primary TV set penetration rate among all TV households. In the Pay TV landscape, satellite is slightly less salient, due in part to the existence of IPTV. According to IHS data, at the end of 2013 satellite controlled 74.4% of the Pay TV market while IPTV’s share stood at 25.56%.

BeIN Sports Arabia (formerly known as Al Jazeera Sports) and OSN have managed to attract the vast bulk of satellite subscribers establishing a virtual duopoly in the market. Since 2009 (year of the merger between Showtime and Orbit to form OSN, and the year of Al Jazeera’s acquisition of all ART sports channels), the combined market share of BeIN Sports Arabia and OSN fluctuated between 85 percent and 82 percent. The recent acquisition of the English Premier League rights by BeIN Sports Arabia as well as the acquisition of South-Asian Pay TV operator Pehla by OSN will further reinforce this trend, according to IHS.

The HD channels offer in the MENA region experienced an explosive growth from just two HD channels in 2009 to 158 in the first two months of 2014. However, 71 HD channels, or around 45 percent of the total offer, are being provided for free. The free HD offer in MENA is higher than the total HD offer in countries like Italy, Spain, Russia, Australia and South Africa. Pay TV operators do not have a policy of up-selling their HD content. My-HD Media, a Dubai-based channel aggregator, is testing the waters launching in mid-2013 a low-cost offer of HD channels tied with the purchase of a specific set-top box with no further subscription charges for the first 12 months.

Astro, Azteca, Global Station sign pact

Malaysian pay-TV provider, Astro; Spanish-language programmer, Azteca; and Malaysian drama producer, Global Station have joined hands to re-produce Azteca telenovela formats in Malaysian version.

“With Astro’s consumer and marketing know-how, Global’s production expertise and Azteca’s distribution strengths we are confident that these adapted telenovelas will meet the increasing demand for localised content from the multicultural and diverse people of this region, as well as be able to travel beyond Malaysia to delight audiences around the world,” said Agnes Rozario, VP of Astro’s content group.

As per the deal, Azteca will manage the international distribution of the produced telenovelas. Astro will handle marketing activities and Global Station will co-produce. Astro had earlier partnered with Azteca and Global Station for various content.

Ukraine's Lybid TV files for bankruptcy

Thursday, April 10th, 2014 

Ukrainian digital satellite television operator, Lybid TV, has announced that due to force majeure and the economic and political circumstances in the country, its continued provision of the TV service is impossible.

The company plans to begin bankruptcy proceedings in accordance with applicable Ukrainian law.

Record year for Riks TV

APRIL 2, 2014 10.58 EUROPE/LONDON BY JULIAN CLOVER

Riks TV achieved a record year in 2013 with increases in sales, operating profit and subscribers. 

“We see that we have attractive services that customers appreciate and that they are buying more extensive services, says CEO Christian Birkeland. “We have worked long and hard to operate cost effectively. In this respect, also 2013 was a good year. Income Increase combined with good cost control results, says Birkeland.

The Norwegian pay-DTT platform delivered NOK 1,165 million in revenues compared to NOK 1,087 million in 2012. Net profit those to NOK 128.3 million from 108.6 million in 2012.

Launched in 2007, Riks TV, owned by Norwegian Aktivum AS TV 2 AS and Telenor Media Invest AS, initially struggled in the competitive Norwegian market.

At the end of 2013 RiksTV reached 515,000 households, compared with 491,000 at the end of 2012. 282,000 customers subscribed took one or more pay services .

During 2013 RiksTV has launched several new services and channels, including archive channels from TV 2 and TV Norge. 

Wananchi takes Zuku TV to Malawi

Wananchi Group bets big on Malawi with the launch of Zuku TV

• As part of its ongoing strategy to grow its TV operations in key African markets

Wananchi Group, owner of pay TV Zuku, has today confirmed plans to venture into Malawi by launching Zuku TV as part of its strategy to grow its TV operations. The move which is being set up at an initial cost of $10 million, comes on the backdrop of Malawi’s government successful migration from analogue broadcasting to digital confirmed by the global requirements that all countries should have adopted the new platform by 2015.

Commenting on the new venture, Wananchi Group CEO, Richard Alden noted, “We are excited to unveil Zuku TV in Malawi. We believe through our compelling offering – a wide selection of entertainment channels covering news, sports, movies, documentaries and music we are inevitably contributing to the country’s digital knowledge and economy infrastructure. Our goal is to ensure the majority if not all households in the country have access to our world class digital television content at very affordable subscription charges,” said Alden.

Mr. Alden added, “With over 105 channel options now available on Zuku TV, we will keep making it even better not only through competitive pricing but also spicing up our content in an effort to give value for money while keeping our subscribers informed and entertained.”

Consumers will be treated to many of Zuku TV’s tailor-made channels such as Zuku Africa airing African content, Zuku Life airing documentaries, Zuku Sports, a first of its kind kids channel dubbed Zuku Kids that provides both entertainment and edutainment for children aged between 6 and 12 years and as well as a number of themed movie channels .

Zuku launched in Nairobi (on its cable network) in 2009 and Direct To Home Services in Kenya and Uganda in late 2011 and Tanzania in 2012. “I am pleased to note that over 13 million households in the East Africa region can access Zuku TV services and now with the launch into Malawi we are we have pushed the number to 14 million households”. Mr Alden went on to say. Malawi now becomes the fourth country to have Zuku TV after Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Zuku is also making its presence more tangible in the markets in which it operates through sponsorships of various initiatives; In Kenya and Tanzania Zuku has invested $1million in event sponsorship of the annual Zanzibar International Film Festival for 10 years, In Kenya & Uganda, Zuku launched an ambitious inter university basketball tournament dubbed Zuku Basketball league for more than $500,000 investment for 3 years. In Malawi, Zuku TV will be looking to partner and work hand in hand with Malawian artists to give them a platform to promote their talents.

As a brand, Zuku is committed in enriching the product offering through accessible, affordable and relevant content. “We believe that there is a rapidly growing market segment that is eager to be part of a digital multi-channel television world for the range and choice that it offers to the whole family. Our offering has been structured to meet that need – and we see a truly exciting opportunity in this. As an East African company we are committed to maintaining a close focus on this market, and are delighted to be a part of its growth” concluded Mr. Alden.

Wananchi group is also planning to venture into Ethiopia and Rwanda by end 2014.

DTT drives digital TV in Latin America

Digital TV is finally taking off in Latin America – from only 18.1% penetration of TV households at end-2010 to just over the halfway mark by end-2014 and onto 94.5% by 2020, according toa new report from Digital TV Research. To put it another way, 132 million digital TV households (in the 19 countries covered in the Digital TV Latin America report) will be added between 2010 and 2020 to take the total to 157 million. DTT will provide half of the additional digital TV homes to be added between 2010 and 2020.

Latin America TV household forecasts by platform (million)

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Much of this growth is being driven by satellite TV, especially lower-cost and prepaid packages – although these subscribers are forcing down average ARPU figures.”

Nearly 14.4 million pay satellite TV households will be added between 2013 and 2020, with 3.1 million more in 2014 alone. Pay satellite TV penetration will grow from 9.6% in 2010 to 21.1% by end-2014 and onto 25.8% in 2020 – indicating that much of the fast growth has already taken place.

Pay satellite TV is the leading digital platform, but primary FTA DTT will overtake it in 2015. The number of primary DTT homes will rocket from 4.3 million at end-2010 (3.0% penetration) to 27.1 million in 2014 (18.0%) and onto 71.1 million by 2020 (42.7%).

There are signs that the economic boom may be faltering. The predicted economic slowdown in China has had an adverse knock-on effect for exports in Latin America, especially in countries such as Argentina. US sanctions have hit Venezuela. The positives are that Brazil is hosting both the World Cup (2014) and the Summer Olympics (2016), which will boost infrastructure build-out.

Brazil, Mexico and Argentina dominate the region. Brazil alone will add 37 million digital TV households between 2013 and 2020, with Mexico contributing an extra 15 million and Argentina nearly 7 million more. Digital TV households will also increase rapidly in the other 16 countries covered in this report – collectively adding 34 million digital homes between 2013 and 2020.

Pay TV penetration will rise, but not as dramatically as digital TV penetration. Overall pay TV penetration will reach 53% by 2020, up from 41% at end-2013 and 29% at end-2010. This means 28 million more pay TV homes between 2013 and 2020, taking the total to 89 million. Brazil will provide 11.6 million of these additions and Mexico 6.4 million. Puerto Rico will record 84% pay TV penetration by 2020, with five countries above 70%. However, three countries will be below 40%.

Pay TV revenues in Latin America will be $4.5 billion higher in 2020 ($24.7 billion total) than in 2013. Satellite TV will continue to be the largest pay TV platform, with revenues reaching $17.6 billion in 2020, up from $14.2 billion in 2013. Cable TV revenues will be $6.1 billion in 2020, up from $4.8 billion in 2013.

Panasonic presents the world’s first TV set with integrated SAT>IP client

LUXEMBOURG — SES S.A. (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) and Panasonic today presented the world’s first TV set with integrated SAT>IP technology at the SES Industry Days in Luxembourg. The Panasonic VIERA TV has an integrated SAT>IP client which re-distributes the satellite TV signal via the IP-based home network, including Wi-Fi. The innovative technology enables viewers to watch TV at home, without a cord and wherever they like, on a large variety of IP-devices simultaneously and without complex in-house cabling.

SAT>IP is an innovative technology developed by SES and its industrial partners that translates the satellite transmission into an Internet Protocol (IP) signal that is redistributed in-house to IP-devices like tablets, smartphones and laptops. The technology allows the reception of several programmes in parallel on different devices and significantly enlarges the in-house reception base for the large range of high quality satellite transmissions.

SES Industry Days is a two-day event taking place in Luxembourg and gathering more than 230 delegates from two dozen countries and 130 companies – broadcasters, TV manufacturers, decoder manufacturers, hardware manufacturers and software developers – to discuss innovative technologies and developments of satellite transmission and reception and the entire future video broadcasting ecosystem.

Armando Romagnolo, Marketing Director of Panasonic Germany, said: “With its unparalleled variety of channels also in HD quality, satellite is one of the most popular ways to receive TV. As the world’s first TV manufacturer to integrate the innovative SAT>IP standard, this step is only logical and reflects our long-standing cooperation with SES.”

Wilfried Urner, Senior Vice President, Product Development and Management at SES, stated: “We are very pleased that Panasonic, as one of the leading TV manufacturers, supports SAT>IP. With the new Panasonic TVs featuring SAT>IP, viewers will have the flexibility to enjoy our large variety of channels in the highest quality on all possible receivers.”

Spanish pay-TV starts to recover

Following several quarters of gradual decline, Spain’s pay-TV market staged a slight recovery in the last three months of 2013.

Data produced by the regulator CMNC shows that the country ended the year with 3,774,777 pay-TV subscriptions, up from 3,740,138 in Q3 but down from 4,077,101 a year earlier.

The biggest recovery was seen at Telefónica, which saw its subscriber total grow from 611,251 to 670,525 in Q4 2013, and Orange, up from 62,231 to 76,028 in the same period.

On the other hand, Ono’s pay-TV subscriber total fell from 807,429 to 789,895.

The recovery was reflected in pay-TV revenues, which amounted to €422.31 million in Q4, up from €401.35 million three months earlier but lower than the €444.77 million posted a year earlier.

The biggest winner in terms of distribution platforms was IP, with 746,553 homes receiving TV services.

This compared to 673,482 three months earlier but was down from the 786,586 in Q4 2012.

Both DTH and cable continued to gradually lose subscribers, ending 2013 with 1,620,632 and 1,142,015 respectively, while DTT grew slightly to 237,178.

T-HT deepens Cisco relationship

The Croatian incumbent Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT) has extended its business cooperation with Cisco.

One of the key points in the new collaboration between the two parties is that the T-HT now holds the certification of a Master partner for Cisco cloud and managed services.

This certification is a formal recognition of skills and expertise of the telco related to the provision of high-quality solutions and cloud managed services to customers in Croatia.

T-HT will also be the first company in the region to launch Meraki solution based on the cloud, while in terms of innovation it is working on such pilot projects as TeraStream.

This is a software defined network (SDN) concept which allows simple implementation and integration of advanced services that are delivered via the cloud , including traditional telecommunications services such as voice, IPTV and internet access.

Stream TV glasses-free 3D on show in SGO booth at NAB Show 2014

Stream TV Networks Teams With SGO At NAB 2014

• New Toolsets to Accelerate Adoption of the Glasses-Free 3D Ultra-D Format

PHILADELPHIA — Stream TV Networks, Inc. is pleased to announce its revolutionary Ultra-D™ glasses-free 3D technology will be demonstrated in the SGO booth (SL9021) at the National Association of Broadcasters Show (NAB 2014) in Las Vegas, April 7-10, marking the first time that the glasses-free 3D screens will be on display at the show. The NAB showcase also marks the start of Stream TV’s relationship with SGO, the global leader in innovation for 3D post-production.

Stream TV recognizes the importance of high quality creative tools in driving global adoption of its Ultra-D format, and plans are currently underway to empower content creators to make Ultra-D movies, television programs, video games and other forms of entertainment.

This new program will marry Ultra-D’s high quality glasses-free 3D with exceptional post-production facilities into a workflow that will be tested in full by London-based post facility ONSIGHT. SGO continues the development of new and evolving tools for the Mistika and Mamba FX products, which will also enable the creation of an Ultra-D glasses-free 3D experience at the highest possible standards.

“As we head into mass production and begin building a global consumer base, the demand for native and optimized Ultra-D content will grow,” said Mathu Rajan, CEO of Stream TV Networks. “NAB is the perfect place to introduce Ultra-D to the broadcast community, and with their reputation for innovation and excellence, SGO is the perfect partner for showcasing our technology.”

Geoff Mills, Director of Global Sales and Operations for SGO, added, “NAB is a great platform to show the advances in glasses-free displays, and the really compelling 3D image of Stream TV’s Ultra-D format is certainly a prime example of how things have evolved.”

Stream TV has continued to improve its proprietary Ultra-D glasses-free 3D technology, making advances to both the 4K optical design and the rendering firmware that offers a user-adjustable 140-degree viewing experience without “sweet” or “dead” spots.

The most important technical advance comes as a result of Stream TV’s strategic alliance with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.® Stream TV has now ported its real-time conversion algorithms to a system-on-chip that will allow consumers to purchase a smart TV with integrated features that allow conversion of any source content into Ultra-D’s stunning glasses-free 3D format. Working closely with Qualcomm partner Intrinsyc Software International, Inc.®, Stream TV utilized the DragonBoard™ development kit featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (APQ 8074) processor to achieve the breakthrough.

First off the production line will be 50 and 55-inch displays, to be followed by a full suite of additional products including a wide range of smart TV’s, mobile phones, tablets, all-in-one PC’s, laptops and gaming monitors. Ultra-D screens are expected to begin shipping later this year through several of Stream TV’s global brand partners.

Freesat announces new Freetime partnership with Vestel

World’s third largest TV manufacturer to install Freesat’s award-winning Freetime on its new range of smart TVs and set top boxes

• Freetime features include Roll Back TV guide, all major On Demand players and programme recommendations through Showcase on TVs and set top boxes

Vestel, a major player in the consumer electronics industry, and Freesat, the subscription free TV service, have announced a strategic partnership to provide Freesat’s Freetime service via satellite on a range of Vestel’s new smart TVs and set top boxes. The third largest TV manufacturer in the world, Vestel makes TVs for a variety of major Japanese and European brands as well as own brand TVs sold by major UK retailers including Argos, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.

Owners of the new Vestel manufactured TVs and set top boxes will be able to use Freetime to roll-­‐back the TV guide for the past seven days, access all the major On Demand services including BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD, and Demand 5, and watch Showcase, Freesat’s great programme recommendation service. The Freesat mobile companion app will also work in conjunction with the Vestel Freetime range, offering the ability to plan, record and manage programmes to watch and directly control the TV.

Freetime has been extremely successful since launch in September 2012, with Freetime boxes now accounting for over 40% of all Freesat set‐top box sales.

As the biggest volume supplier to major retailers such as John Lewis and Dixons, the Vestel agreement increases even further the number of viewers that will be able to enjoy the Freetime service.

Emma Scott, Freesat’s Managing Director, commented: “We are extremely pleased to be able to announce today’s partnership with Vestel, which further builds on the strong momentum for our award‐winning Freetime service. This is an exciting time for us – we announced the Freetime Panasonic VIERA TVs range last month and we look forward to extending our reach further with Vestel. Through the new agreement, viewers will be able to enjoy Freetime on a whole new range of leading brands.”

Iskender Diker, Vestel’s Commercial Director, commented: “The television market needs a free smart TV platform that retailers can buy to sell under their own brands. The own brand TV market represents more than 50% of the UK TV market, which makes this partnership between Freesat and Vestel so vitally important. Retailers need to be able to sell high quality TVs with great TV services like those offered by Freesat. Consumers are quite savvy – they don’t need to pay for what’s free.”

Record year for Riks TV

Riks TV achieved a record year in 2013 with increases in sales, operating profit and subscribers. 

“We see that we have attractive services that customers appreciate and that they are buying more extensive services, says CEO Christian Birkeland. “We have worked long and hard to operate cost effectively. In this respect, also 2013 was a good year. Income Increase combined with good cost control results, says Birkeland.

The Norwegian pay-DTT platform delivered NOK 1,165 million in revenues compared to NOK 1,087 million in 2012. Net profit those to NOK 128.3 million from 108.6 million in 2012.

Launched in 2007, Riks TV, owned by Norwegian Aktivum AS TV 2 AS and Telenor Media Invest AS, initially struggled in the competitive Norwegian market.

At the end of 2013 RiksTV reached 515,000 households, compared with 491,000 at the end of 2012. 282,000 customers subscribed took one or more pay services .

During 2013 RiksTV has launched several new services and channels, including archive channels from TV 2 and TV Norge. 

Wananchi takes Zuku TV to Malawi

Wananchi Group bets big on Malawi with the launch of Zuku TV

• As part of its ongoing strategy to grow its TV operations in key African markets

Wananchi Group, owner of pay TV Zuku, has today confirmed plans to venture into Malawi by launching Zuku TV as part of its strategy to grow its TV operations. The move which is being set up at an initial cost of $10 million, comes on the backdrop of Malawi’s government successful migration from analogue broadcasting to digital confirmed by the global requirements that all countries should have adopted the new platform by 2015.

Commenting on the new venture, Wananchi Group CEO, Richard Alden noted, “We are excited to unveil Zuku TV in Malawi. We believe through our compelling offering – a wide selection of entertainment channels covering news, sports, movies, documentaries and music we are inevitably contributing to the country’s digital knowledge and economy infrastructure. Our goal is to ensure the majority if not all households in the country have access to our world class digital television content at very affordable subscription charges,” said Alden.

Mr. Alden added, “With over 105 channel options now available on Zuku TV, we will keep making it even better not only through competitive pricing but also spicing up our content in an effort to give value for money while keeping our subscribers informed and entertained.”

Consumers will be treated to many of Zuku TV’s tailor-made channels such as Zuku Africa airing African content, Zuku Life airing documentaries, Zuku Sports, a first of its kind kids channel dubbed Zuku Kids that provides both entertainment and edutainment for children aged between 6 and 12 years and as well as a number of themed movie channels .

Zuku launched in Nairobi (on its cable network) in 2009 and Direct To Home Services in Kenya and Uganda in late 2011 and Tanzania in 2012. “I am pleased to note that over 13 million households in the East Africa region can access Zuku TV services and now with the launch into Malawi we are we have pushed the number to 14 million households”. Mr Alden went on to say. Malawi now becomes the fourth country to have Zuku TV after Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Zuku is also making its presence more tangible in the markets in which it operates through sponsorships of various initiatives; In Kenya and Tanzania Zuku has invested $1million in event sponsorship of the annual Zanzibar International Film Festival for 10 years, In Kenya & Uganda, Zuku launched an ambitious inter university basketball tournament dubbed Zuku Basketball league for more than $500,000 investment for 3 years. In Malawi, Zuku TV will be looking to partner and work hand in hand with Malawian artists to give them a platform to promote their talents.

As a brand, Zuku is committed in enriching the product offering through accessible, affordable and relevant content. “We believe that there is a rapidly growing market segment that is eager to be part of a digital multi-channel television world for the range and choice that it offers to the whole family. Our offering has been structured to meet that need – and we see a truly exciting opportunity in this. As an East African company we are committed to maintaining a close focus on this market, and are delighted to be a part of its growth” concluded Mr. Alden.

Wananchi group is also planning to venture into Ethiopia and Rwanda by end 2014.

DTT drives digital TV in Latin America

Digital TV is finally taking off in Latin America – from only 18.1% penetration of TV households at end-2010 to just over the halfway mark by end-2014 and onto 94.5% by 2020, according toa new report from Digital TV Research. To put it another way, 132 million digital TV households (in the 19 countries covered in the Digital TV Latin America report) will be added between 2010 and 2020 to take the total to 157 million. DTT will provide half of the additional digital TV homes to be added between 2010 and 2020.

Latin America TV household forecasts by platform (million)

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Much of this growth is being driven by satellite TV, especially lower-cost and prepaid packages – although these subscribers are forcing down average ARPU figures.”

Nearly 14.4 million pay satellite TV households will be added between 2013 and 2020, with 3.1 million more in 2014 alone. Pay satellite TV penetration will grow from 9.6% in 2010 to 21.1% by end-2014 and onto 25.8% in 2020 – indicating that much of the fast growth has already taken place.

Pay satellite TV is the leading digital platform, but primary FTA DTT will overtake it in 2015. The number of primary DTT homes will rocket from 4.3 million at end-2010 (3.0% penetration) to 27.1 million in 2014 (18.0%) and onto 71.1 million by 2020 (42.7%).

There are signs that the economic boom may be faltering. The predicted economic slowdown in China has had an adverse knock-on effect for exports in Latin America, especially in countries such as Argentina. US sanctions have hit Venezuela. The positives are that Brazil is hosting both the World Cup (2014) and the Summer Olympics (2016), which will boost infrastructure build-out.

Brazil, Mexico and Argentina dominate the region. Brazil alone will add 37 million digital TV households between 2013 and 2020, with Mexico contributing an extra 15 million and Argentina nearly 7 million more. Digital TV households will also increase rapidly in the other 16 countries covered in this report – collectively adding 34 million digital homes between 2013 and 2020.

Pay TV penetration will rise, but not as dramatically as digital TV penetration. Overall pay TV penetration will reach 53% by 2020, up from 41% at end-2013 and 29% at end-2010. This means 28 million more pay TV homes between 2013 and 2020, taking the total to 89 million. Brazil will provide 11.6 million of these additions and Mexico 6.4 million. Puerto Rico will record 84% pay TV penetration by 2020, with five countries above 70%. However, three countries will be below 40%.

Pay TV revenues in Latin America will be $4.5 billion higher in 2020 ($24.7 billion total) than in 2013. Satellite TV will continue to be the largest pay TV platform, with revenues reaching $17.6 billion in 2020, up from $14.2 billion in 2013. Cable TV revenues will be $6.1 billion in 2020, up from $4.8 billion in 2013.

More: Digital TV Latin America Forecasts