NBCUniversal pulls channel from Russia
January 23, 2015
NBCUniversal is pulling its channel out of the Russian market, blaming the challenging economic environment for pay-TV channels.
The decision comes amid media law changes in the country that have presented economic difficulties for international channel operators and means the E! Entertainment and Universal Channel will no longer have a presence in Russia.
“Due to the challenging economic environment for our pay-TV channels in Russia, Universal Networks International has made the decision to no longer operate in the market and is looking at alternative opportunities for its channels business,” NBCU said in a statement.
It added that other parts of the NBCU business that have a presence in Russia will continue operating as normal and that the studio “remains committed to the Russian market”.