Mediaset, Samsung to air 4K football
November 17, 2016
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Italian pay-TV broadcaster Mediaset Premium has partnered with Samsung to broadcast, for the first time, an Italian Serie A football match in 4K.
The AC Milan vs Inter Milan match on November 20th will be coded in HEVC 50p, using nine 4K cameras and a single DTT multiplex, at no additional cost to existing subscribers.
Previously, the pay-TV platform broadcast the UEFA Champions League final on May 28th in Milan in 4K.
From December, the on-demand streaming services Premium Play and Premium Play will introduce some movies in 4K, including recent box office releases (such as Suicide Squad, Batman vs Superman and Magic Mike).
Additionally, in January 2017, Mediaset Premium will introduce High Dynamic Range (HDR): over 100 movies and TV series will be aired in the new resolution.
According to Mediaset Premium CEO, Franco Ricci, there were 2 million subscribers at the end of September, or around 200,000 less than originally forecast. He anticipated that the pay-TV platform will close 2016 with a loss, but that advertising sales in the same period grew by 3-4 per cent.
The management of the pay-TV broadcaster also announced it will invest €6.5 million to promote its offer, which will include the launch of a new channel (Premium Animation) and new content (movies, TV series, and football rights).