Bezeq’s Yes TV to switch to broadband
March 14, 2019
By Chris Forrester
Bezeq Israel Telecom is dumping satellite DTH delivery of its Yes TV bouquet of pay-TV channels and switching instead to an all-broadband delivery. The switch to online delivery will be gradual, says Bezeq.
The news has hit satellite operator Spacecom hard which saw its shares plummet by 8.5 per cent in trading on March 14th.
Bezeq, in a statement, said the resolution was taken in light of trends in the TV content market that include lower barriers to entry, emergence of new players, establishment of OTT broadcasting technologies, changes in the value chain, and change in consumer habits. All these trends, together with the differences between the technology of the older satellite broadcasts and the technology of OTT broadcasts with all its inherent advantages, required an examination of the need for OTT based broadcasts by Yes.
Reportedly Bezeq’s pay-TV bundle is Spacecom’s second-largest client. Spacecom has been up for sale for the past couple of years, while Bezeq itself has been mired in political and financial difficulties.