As widely expected, Scripps Networks is to acquire Virgin Media’s stake in UKTV, the joint-venture multi-platform channel operator with BBC Worldwide. Scripps Networks Interactive will pay approximately £239 million to purchase Virgin Media’s 50 per cent common equity interest in the UKTV partnership and also will pay about £100 million to acquire the outstanding preferred […]
New figures released by Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, suggest that despite the advent of time-shifted TV, the vast majority of TV viewing is to live TV, with the amount of time spent watching linear commercial TV channels in the UK during January to June 2011 increasing to a new […]
Poland’s national public broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP) has become the first major broadcaster in eastern Europe to implement Dolby Digital Plus audio streams on a national broadcast channel. TVP1, Poland’s most popular terrestrial TV channel, has begun transmissions using Dolby Digital Plus audio for viewers on the DVB-T platform. While TVP1 is the oldest TV […]
Spacecom, the operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, has signed an agreement with a European company to provide satellite services to a new DTH platform for the Ukrainian market under the ‘Xtra TV’ Brand. Spacecom’s AMOS-3 satellite at 4°W will provide the services. The multi-year deal is valued up to $19 million. Xtra TV, the […]
BBC TV and Sky Sports have been awarded the live rights to Formula 1 between 2012 and 2018. The BBC currently screens the sport on an exclusive basis in the UK. The broadcasting partnership will include: – All races, qualifying and practice sessions live on Sky Sports across TV, Online and Mobile and Tablet devices. […]
Following comments made July 27 by UK commercial broadcaster ITV as it reported its Interim Results that it was seeking to drive new revenue streams by exploiting its content across multiple platforms, free and pay, satellite operator SES Astra has revealed that ITV has signed a long-term agreement for satellite capacity. The agreement provides for […]
Digital free-to-air (FTA) channels have overtaken pay TV in Australian metropolitan audience share, with the June figures showing FTA digital’s 20.25 per cent to pay’s 15.42 per cent. Digital FTA channels nudged past pay TV for the first time in January with a 20.04 per cent metro audience share, compared to pay TV’s 18.87 per […]
Optus has launched Optus TV Now, allowing its customers in Australia to schedule, record and playback free-to-air television from any compatible 3G mobile device+ or personal computer. With Optus TV Now, Optus customers can record their favourite TV programme using their mobile phone and then play it back on their mobile or PC at a […]
Martin Whitmarsh, team principal at McLaren, has suggested that although Formula One has benefited from its exposure on television under the sport’s commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone, the changes in technology and media consumption mean that it now needs to reassess how to monetise the new opportunities. Whitmarsh told the sport’s official website, formula1.com, that there […]
A number of leading advocates of local TV in the UK have formed the Local TV Alliance and have written to the Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt reiterating their support for his original vision and urging him not to be deterred by vested interests. The initial members of the Alliance include Channel 6, Local 6 […]