DIALOG TV IN SRI LANKA TO LAUNCH ITS OTT PLATFORM SOON

Zihar Zuhair, chief manager content acquisition of Dialog Axiata in Sri Lanka revealed during an exclusive interview with NexTV India at the NexTV Series summit in Mumbai that Dialog TV is planning to launch its OTT platform in the coming months. Zuhair further disclosed that the content strategies for its OTT platform will be different from its DTH platform. .

• Q.Can you give us a brief overview of Dialog Axiata activities in Sri Lanka?
• A. Dialog Axiata is Sri Lanka’s largest telecommunications service provider and commands more than 50% of the Sri Lankan mobile market. Dialog is a subsidiary of Axiata Group Berhad which owns 83.32% controlling stake of the company while the rest is held by the public. In April 2013 Dialog Axiata launched its mobile 4G LTE services.In addition to its core business of mobile telephony, the company operates a portfolio of services including Dialog TV, the country’s Direct To Home Satellite TV service and Dialog Global which provides international telecommunication services. Dialog Broadband offers fixed-line and broadband internet services, whilst Dialog Tele-Infrastructure is the company’s national telco infrastructure arm.Dialog Television operate around 120 channels focusing on news, entertainment and knowledge based programming. It provides international content including CNN, BBC, HBO, Cinemax, AXN, Star Sports, Discovery Channel, MTV and Cartoon Network, in addition to a portfolio of Sri Lankan television channel. As of December 2015, we have over 650,000 Dialog Television subscribers and looking forward to increase the number of subscribers with our channel expansion.

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• Q.
  What are the content strategies of Dialog TV in Sri Lanka?
• A. Concerning Dialog TV content strategies, we have an open policy. In fact, Sri Lankan like a variety of content, we have content from India, Singapore, Hong Kong and from all around the world. We want to make sure that customers get the best of the content and a variety of content to choose. We try to cater for the different need of the subscribers, be it in term of sport contents, news or entertainment.

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• Q.The OTT/VOD industry is booming up in India and in the SAARC region, is Dialog TV planning to join the bandwagon?
• A. Actually we are mainly in the DTH sector but as the OTT industry is heating up, we are also planning to launch our own OTT platform. We are working actively on the service and we are planning to launch out OTT apps in the coming months. As we are a core player in Sri Lanka in the telecommunication industry, we already have the network infrastructure needed and also we have the ability to regroup them. This will definitely be an advantage for us when we’ll be launching our OTT service.

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• Q. What will be your content strategies for the OTT service, will it carry the same offer as your DTH platform?
• A. In fact, it’s a good question, my answer will be yes and no. Actually we’ll leverage on the best content that we have on our DTH platform plus we’ll bring some unique and exclusive content for the OTT platform. We are planning to have some local shows that we’ll be produced by us with the help of local production houses. Above all, we want our subscribers to have a variety of choice and content that best suit them. In fact, we have some constraints for our DTH platform in term of space for expansion and we want to fill this vacuum with our OTT offer. For sure, we’ll have different services and offer on our OTT platform.

Dialog Axiata’s DTV shows growth of 25%

Dialog Television (DTV), the digital pay-tv arm of Dialog Axiatia, posted a revenue growth of 25 percent to US$ 30.5 million (LKR 4.3 billion) for the nine months ended 30 September 2015 in Sri Lanka.

DTV’s pay-tv subscriber base grew by over 189,000 subscribers’ year-on-year to record a base of 600,000 at the end of September.

Dialog Axiata reported a consolidated revenue of 133 million (LKR 18.8 billion) for the third quarter of 2015, and US$ 383 (LKR 53.9 billion) for the nine months till 30 September 2015, which represents a growth of 6 % quarter-on-quarter and 8 % year to date. The company reported “strong growth momentum” across digital pay-tv, tele-infrastructure, mobile and its fixed-line businesses.

Dialog Broadband Networks (DBN) featuring the Group’s fixed telecommunications and broadband business, recorded revenue of LKR 5.3 billion for the first nine months of the year, representing an increase of 19 percent year-to-date.

Dialog TV brings Rugby World Cup to Sri Lanka via Sony Kix

Sri Lanka’s Dialog TV, the Pay-TV operator is beaming Sony Kix in Sri Lanka. The exclusive rights to MSM’s sportscaster gives Dialog access to the full coverage of all Rugby World Cup matches.

National broadcaster Rupavahini is broadcasting five group games live and knockout games. Dialog TV subscribers, however, can access all the 48 matches and other tournament-related content aired by Sony Kix and its sister channel, Sony Six.

Dialog is offering Sony Six and Sony Kix at LKR99 per month or LKR4 per day, with personal video recording (PVR) features, reports RapidTV news. Sri Lanka Telecom’s PEO TV is also broadcasting Rugby matches via Sony Six, reports Rapid TV.

Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) Sony Six has acquired rights to the Rugby World Cup 2015 for the Indian market. Rugby World Cup 2015 began on 18 September and will run till 31 October, 2015. The matches will be played in 13 venues across England and Cardiff. The sportscaster already has rights to La Liga, Serie A and FA Cup. The Rugby World Cup deal has helped it strengthen its sports content offering.

In related news, Sri Lanka operator Dialog Axiata has introduced a new service called Power Play, which lets users access 40 TV channels for LKR 12 a day, reports Telecompaper.

travelxp enters Sri Lanka via Dialog TV

travelxp, the HD travel channel, has hopped on Sri Lanka-based Dialog TV’s DTH platform.

Dialog TV, owned by Dialog Axiata PLC, delivers direct-to-home TV service to over 500,000 homes in Sri Lanka. travelxp, which is a premium HD channel, says that it will bring quality travel-related content to customers in the country. The channel already has around 20 million subscribers in India and is planning to expand its footprint across Asia. The channel will start broadcasting in Sri Lanka from 16 July, 2015.

“travelxp also plans to expand its programming content from Sri Lanka and will soon commence filming at some of the most beautiful locations in Sri Lanka, allowing its consumers worldwide as well as in Sri Lanka a ringside view at the vivid culture and the lifestyle of Sri Lanka and hopes to bring about the projection of Sri Lanka as an exotic destination for travellers across the world,” said Prashant Chothani, CEO of travelxp.

travelxp was launched in 2011 and shoots content using 4K technology. The channel syndicates content to over 45 television networks across the world and is also part of in-flight entertainment programming for several airlines, including Etihad, Qatar Airlines and Oman Air. Back in May this year, travelxp revamped its look, complete with a new logo and a theme to mark the beginning of its expansion strategy.

Dialog TV clocks LKR243mn profit in FY2014

Dialog Television, Sri Lankan digital pay television operated by Dialog Axiata PLC, has posted a net profit of LKR243 million in the financial year 2014 as compared to a net loss of LKR301 million in FY 2013. It has generated a revenue of LKR4.7 billion in the financial year 2014, with a growth rate of 30% year-on-year.

Dialog Television’s EBITDA stood at LKR863 million for the same period, up by 30% y-o-y. it has a subscriber base of 452,000 at the end of December 2014 with a growth rate of 36% year-on-year.

The group has recorded a consolidated revenue of LKR67.3 billion in FY 2014 with an increase of 6% y-o-y. Its net profit has increased by 17% y-o-y to LKR6.1 billion.

Dialog Television revenue raises by 29% in Q3 2014

Sri Lankan telco, Dialog Axiata, has reported 29% increase in its revenue from its direct-to-home service, Dialog Television (DTV), in the third quarter 2014. Pay-TV revenue has increased to LKR3,405 million (USD25.9 million) in the third quarter 2014 from LKR2,637 million (USD20.1 million) in the third quarter 2013.

The operator’s pay television subscriber base reaches 410,000 at the end of September 2014 from 285,000 subscribers at the end of September 2013. There has been a growth rate of 36% year-on-year.

DTV’s post-paid and pre-paid DTH subscribers grew by 22% and 286% y-o-y respectively, said the company in its financial statement.