Advanced Television

Pay TV

Canal+ International lands in Myanmar

Canal+ International has launched a pay-TV bouquet in Myanmar (Burma), targeting 1 million subscribers over the next five years. Canal+ Myanmar has been launched in partnership with local group Forever and includes eight Canal+ original channels for which local productions have been commissioned. Two packages are available: one composed of 36 channels for €2.80 per […]

February 20, 2018From Pascale Paoli Lebailly in Paris

Spain: Pay-TV subs at record-high

Pay-TV penetration is breaking all records in Spain. In the third quarter of 2017, subscriber numbers grew by 6.6 per cent year-on-year to over 6.4 million, the highest ever, according to CNMC. Telefónica’s Movistar Plus leads the market both in terms of subscribers and revenues. The company had 3.7 billion subscribers as of the end […]

February 19, 2018From David Del Valle in Madrid

DStv price hike on April 1st

MultiChoice is increasing subscription fees by at least 4 per cent for its South African viewers from April 1st, and as much as 5.5 per cent for subscribers to its DStv ‘Compact’ cluster of channels, and 6 per cent for its DStv ‘Family’ and DStv ‘Select’ bundles. DStv’s top tier, all inclusive bundle will pay […]

February 19, 2018By Chris Forrester

Sky 1 BT 0 (and lucky to score NIL)

Unfortunately for me, I support a football team who often have the nil end of a score line and often, frankly, they play so badly they are lucky to get nil. If Sky and BT were in a pay-TV performance league there would be a lot of places between them: Sky headed for the Champions […]

February 16, 2018

£1bn broadcaster investment Brexit risk

International broadcasters invested a record £1.02 billion (€1.15bn) in the UK in 2017, an increase of more than 50 per cent on the comparable figure (£679m) in 2011, according to independent research commissioned by UK trade body the Commercial Broadcasters Association, who warns that this investment is at risk unless the Government secures access to […]

February 15, 2018By Colin Mann

Ofcom faces Murdoch ‘fit and proper’ challenge

A London High Court Judge has approved a legal challenge by global citizens movement Avaaz against Ofcom, calling to question the regulator’s decision that Fox and the Murdoch family could be trusted to fully control Sky. Honourable Mr Justice Morris ruled that Avaaz’s case against Ofcom’s ‘fit and proper’ ruling in the Fox/Sky bid is […]

February 15, 2018By Colin Mann

Virgin lifts Liberty with “its best performance”

Liberty Global has announced its Q4 and full-year 2017 financial results. The international telco reported full year revenues of $15 billion, $3.9 billion of which were generated in the 4th quarter. This represented a rise of 2.3 per cent on the full year and 2.9 per cent on the 4th quarter. However, operating income for […]

February 15, 2018

La Liga broadcaster now under Chinese control

China’s Orient Hontai will now control Spanish media company Mediapro after acquiring a 53.5 per cent stake in the company for around €900 million. The Chinese private equity firm has acquired the stake from the shareholders: Torreal, another private equity company with a share of 23 per cent; the Mexican broadcaster Televisa with 19 per […]

February 14, 2018From David Del Valle in Madrid

Sky and BT pay £4.5bn for EPL rights

Sky and BT Sport have agreed to pay £4.464 billion (€5bn) for Premier League games for three seasons from 2019-20. Five of seven live packages have been awarded, with bidding for the remaining two ongoing. Interest from “multiple bidders” remains, the Premier League said – there had been speculation FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) […]

February 14, 2018

ESPN, Sky Sports team for F1

ESPN, Sky Sports and Formula 1 are joining forces to bring Sky Sports’ presentation of the championship to the US. Television audiences in the US will be able to watch the Sky Sports coverage as ESPN and ABC air all 21 races in the championship under a multi-year linear and digital partnership between ESPN and […]

February 14, 2018By Colin Mann