CEE TV industry news stories

Chris Dziadul, January 12, 2024

New RTL-supported FilmBox channel for Hungary

SPI International has announced the launch of a new version of FilmBox channel in Hungary, fully tailored to the local market and featuring an enhanced content selection. The launch is being further strengthened through a partnership with RTL Saleshouse facilitating ad sales and viewership measurement. Canal-owned SPI International has also recently acquired content for FilmBox channels from, amongst others, Paramount Global Content Distribution and Prorom.

 

PPF Group gets Viaplay deal approval

Viaplay has approved the acquisition of a 29.3% stake in the company by the Czech Republic’s PPF Group. In an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), it has also approved the acquisition of a 29.3% stake in Viaplay by Canal+. In addition, it has approved the sale by its wholly owned subsidiary Viasat Studios of Paprika Holding, including its direct and indirect interests in Central and Eastern Europe, to Poblano Kft for SEK61.9 million (€5.5 million) on a cash and debt-free basis.  

 

Huge fine for Canal+ Polska

Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has fined Canal+ Polska over PLN46 million (€10.58 million) and ordered it to issue refunds to customers. In a statement, it says that Canal+ misled customers into effectively signing a parallel contract while offering them a package of TV channels free of charge. The violation of consumers’ rights took place between October 10, 2019 and April 23, 2022 and UOKiK’s decision can be appealed in court.

 

United Media hires Natasa Buljan

Natasa Buljan has been appointed the fiction development director at United Media. She started her career in advertising as a copywriter before becoming a creative director of many successful advertising campaigns. Buljan most recently led the Content Development Department at Croatia’s Nova TV and assumed her new role, which encompasses eight countries, at the beginning of this year.

 

Carriage agreement in Slovenia

The Slovenian operator T-2 has reintroduced three TV channels from Planet TV to its programme offer. This follows the successful conclusion of negotiations between the two parties and only days after the channels Planet, Planet 2 and Planet Eva were withdrawn from the offer due to a contractual dispute.  

 

Hungarian TV viewing insight

The seven Viacom channels available in Hungary have the youngest audience profile. At the same time, according to the regulator NMHH, the oldest viewers, with an average age of 67, opt for the news-based channels ATV and Hír TV. Meanwhile, in the case of the two leading commercial channels, RTL’s audience is three years younger than that of TV2s.

NMHH’s findings, though just published, refer to 2022 and form part of a study into how viewing trends have changed in Hungary over the past 25 years.

 

Iskon merges with Hrvatski Telekom

The Croatian telco Iskon Internet has officially merged with the incumbent Hrvatski Telekom (HT). The merger is the result of an agreement concluded on November 8, 2023 and subsequently approved by Iskon, which previously operated as part of HT. HT acquired Iskon Internet for €13.7 million in 2006.

 

Czech tower company gains new assets

The Czech national transmission company Ceske Radiokomunikace (CRA) has completed the acquisition of Prague Digital TV for a nominal sum. According to CRA’s owner Cordiant Digital Infrastructure Limited, the transaction brings with it valuable broadcasting spectrum and doubles CRA's current television broadcast capacity in the Prague region. It also provides additional space for the further development and roll out of innovative TV services. CRA has in addition completed the acquisition of the cloud services and data centre businesses, Cloud4com and DC Luzice from Aricoma.

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© Chris Dziadul, 2024