Chris Dziadul, November 28, 2024
Televio to close in Poland and Croatia
The OTT platform Televio will cease operations in Poland and Croatia at the end of December. Televio is operated by the Brno-based company ModernTV, which also operates the SledovániTV OTT service in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where it will now focus its activities. Televio launched in Poland in 2021 and Croatia the following year. Significantly, ModernTV’s assets include a white label IPTV platform which is reportedly present in over 1 million households worldwide, with the strongest growth currently being seen in Asia and Latin America.
SkyShowtime expands in Hungary
SkyShowtime has secured its first-ever partnership in Hungary, joining forces with the incumbent telco Magyar Telekom. As of November 27, the streaming service is available and bundled with a Magyar Telekom TV subscription for the first time as part of their Telekom TVL and IPTV L packages. Telekom subscribers can also receive the brand-new linear channels SkyShowtime 1 and SkyShowtime 2.
Polish regulator awards licences
Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has awarded 10-year telecommunication network licences to Telewizja Polsat and TV Asta to operate the channels Polsat 1 and TV Asta respectively. It has also awarded MWE Broadcast a 10-year licence to operate the channel TVC on the local multiplex L3, which covers Częstochowa, Kamieńsk and Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
Internet dominates Czech video viewing
Close to three-quarters (70%) of Czech households now watch video content on the internet. Furthermore, according to NMS Market Research, published by the Association of Mobile Network Operators (APMS), Netflix is their preferred viewing, with 68% of video users opting for the service. Voyo is in second place (44%), followed by Disney+ (26%), Prima+ (25%), Max (22%), Amazon Prime (8%), Apple TV (6%) and SkyShowtime (3%).
Regulator rejects complaint against TV Pink
Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) Council has decided, after two and a half years, not to take action against TV Pink following a complaint filed by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS/IJAS). NUNS noted that it filed the complaint with REM in June 2022, accusing Pink TV of violating the Law on Electronic Media and the Regulation on the Protection of Human Rights in the provision of media services.
Starlight Media receives YouTube partner status
Ukraine’s Starlight Media has obtained Multi-Channel Network (MCN) status from YouTube. According to Starlight Media, this will open up new opportunities for content distribution, partner support and development of the Ukrainian video market. It adds that MCN will allow it to offer partners copyright protection through Content ID, support in solving monetisation problems and content optimisation to increase reach and profitability, and adapting content in other languages and entering new markets. Starlight Media has over 100 of its own successful YouTube channels.
Streaming holds steady in Poland
Streaming services accounted for 8.7% of TV viewing in Poland in October. This, according to Nielsens’s The Gauge, was slightly down (0.1%) on the previous month. YouTube (2% of total TV viewing) and Netflix (1.9%) were the most popular, with other streaming services accounting for a combined 4.8%. The Gauge notes that viewership in Poland during October saw an uptick across different types of content. Traditional TV channels experienced a 3% increase in viewership, while streaming services saw a 2% rise.
4iG unveils satellite programme
Hungary’s 4iG has provided details of HUSAT, the largest satellite programme in the country and CEE region. Initiated and financed by the private sector, 4iG’s wholly owned subsidiary 4iG Space and Defence Technologies (4iG S&D) plans to launch one geostationary telecommunications satellite and eight low Earth orbit VHR Earth observation satellites by 2032. The main services offered by the HUSAT programme will be Earth observation, data processing and telecommunications.
Rutube TV launches
The Russian video sharing platform Rutube has launched a 24-hour streaming channel named Rutube TV. According to local reports, it received a licence from the regulator Roskomnadzor on October 7 and will soon also obtain a cable distribution licence. Rutube TV is employing a cloud playout service from Synterra Media, Russia’s national backbone communication carrier.
New HbbTV application from Czech Nova
The Czech Republic’s Nova Group has launched a new HbbTV application named TN.cz. It gives viewers access to up-to-date information on politics, sport, weather, horoscopes and much more on their smart TVs with HbbTV support just by pressing the blue button. According to Nova Group, the goal of the new TN.cz application is to mirror the TN.cz news website.
Upgrades for Play’s Polish customers
Customers of the former UPC Polska will gain access to the innovative Play NOW application in March 2025. Replacing any type of decoder they currently have, including the TV 4K Box, it will supersede the analogue TV GO solution. Play is also replacing the TV 4K Box with the Android-based Play BOX TV for its subscribers, with the exchange expected to end in February 2025. UPC Polska was owned by Liberty Global prior to being acquired by iliad’s Play, with the transaction being completed in 2022.
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© Chris Dziadul, 2024
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