Advanced Television

bobbles.tv targets expat communities

August 10, 2016

Pay-TV platform bobbles.tv, which delivers TV channels from all over the world has been launched. The service, which can be received throughout Europe via satellite and Internet, is targeting around 14 million people from Asia, Latin America and Africa living and working in Europe.

For the launch bobbles.tv will offer 25 Chinese and Indonesian TV channels. Programmes for Indian, Korean and Vietnamese communities will follow in November. The Hamburg-based start-up is driven by bubbles media, whose partners are among others the experienced German media managers Arnold C. Kulbatzki and Dr. Torsten Rossmann.

“bobbles.tv offers international communities a convenient way to receive their favourite TV channels anywhere in Europe – via satellite or over the Internet, live or as catch-up TV using media libraries,” explained Kulbatzki. “bobbles.tv customers only pay for the programming that they are really interested in: attractive television from their home countries. A single subscription grants access to almost every relevant TV channel from home.”

According to the company, two digital trends make the bobbles.tv concept possible. On the one hand, social media allows a very efficient targeting of a rather diverse TV audience. New integrated, digital video platform solutions allow smaller operators to enter the TV market across Europe.

The first month is free, and subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. Monthly prices start from €14.95. The Chinese package of bobbles.tv includes 18 TV channels to begin with, and the Indonesian package seven channels, with a third of the channels streamed exclusively in Europe. In contrast to many semi-legal or illegal services, bobbles.tv says its customers can feel assured that their TV entertainment is legally secure and does not break any laws.

In addition to live-streaming, Internet users can also watch recorded shows, whether on PC, tablet or smartphone. Exclusively bobbles.tv offers nine Chinese and Indonesian channels via satellite.

Satellite operator SES confirmed that bobbles.tv has contracted SES capacity and MX1 services to launch its platform. Under the agreement, bobbles.tv will contract SES and MX1 to provide DTH and OTT back-end services, as well as distribution services via satellites and content delivery networks. MX1 is SES’s newly-created media services company that transforms content into the ultimate viewer experience for a global audience, by providing a full range of content management, delivery and value-added digital media services.

“We are delighted to be working with a global player like SES. Not only will SES’s prime orbital position of 19.2 degrees East and MX1’s reliable and high-quality services enable bobbles to reach the 14 million non-European expats and communities living in Europe, but also a continued relationship will allow us to expand our reach globally,” said Kulbatzki.

“Through our global fleet of over 50 satellites, we can support bobbles.tv’s plan to connect expats around the world via entertainment. Today, many expats have to resort to watching poor quality video content on the Internet. With SES’s extensive technical reach, this new TV service will allow more expats to watch better quality picture content anytime they want,” said Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer at SES.

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