Inside CEE Television
Chris Dziadul, October 1 2026
New sports channel for Eleven
Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has awarded Eleven Sports Network a licence to operate a new satellite-delivered channel named Eleven Extra. The channel is expected to launch at the beginning of 2027 and focus initially on coverage of the women’s tennis WTA tour. Inside CEE Television notes that Eleven Sports, which is owned by Polsat Plus Group, currently operates the channels Eleven Sports 1 (also in 4K), Eleven Sports 2, Eleven Sports 3 and Eleven Sports 4. In other developments, KRRiT has also renewed the licence of Telewizja Sudecka for a further 10 years and revoked the licence of Telewizja Wadowice, which has decided to cease operations.
Key NHL rights deal in Czech Republic
The Czech Republic’s two leading national commercial broadcasters Nova and Prima have reached a sub-licensing agreement for NHL rights for the 2026/7 season. Under it, Nova will provide Prima with a portion of the broadcasting rights. Nova will offer its broadcasts on the Nova Sport 1 and Nova Sport 2 channels and via Oneplay. Selected games, including all NHL Monday Night Hockey matches, will also be available via FTA broadcasting on Nova Action in the Czech Republic and Dajto in Slovakia. Meanwhile,Prima will offer its broadcasts on the FTA channel Prima sport and via prima+. Nova and Prima will in total offer up to 24 games per week during the regular season, and each broadcaster will have 14 games at its disposal: 10 exclusively and four available to both TV groups.
Latvia to hold DTT tender
The Latvian regulator NEPLP has announced a tender for the distribution of FTA commercial TV channels in 2027. FTA broadcasting in the country next year will include the public TV channels LTV1 and LTV7, both in SD and HD quality, as well as three commercial channels to be selected through the process. The winners of the contest will have to ensure that at least 80% of their channel’s content is in the Latvian language and at least 60% of its weekly airtime consists of content produced in Latvia in the Latvian language. They must also provide a free online archive of broadcasts covering the period from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2027. Funding for FTA broadcasting is provided by NEPLP and applications have to be submitted electronically by October 20.
Polsat expands in the US
The Polonia package on the Polish online streaming and VOD platform Polsat Box Go is now available in the US, giving Poles living overseas even easier access to their favourite programmes, news, and entertainment from back home. Users can watch channels such as Polsat 1, Polsat News, and Polsat News Polityka, as well as popular series and shows from Telewizja Polsat and TV4. The offer also includes sports broadcasts and on-demand content covering major national events and sporting competitions. The Polonia package can be received simultaneously on up to three devices and costs $10 per 30 days. Polsat Box Go is operated by Polsat Plus Group.
A1 adds YouTube Premium in Bulgaria
A1 Bulgaria has added YouTube Premium to its portfolio of digital services. Subscribers with eligible A1 mobile or fixed-line plans who have an available "Select" slot can activate an individual YouTube Premium subscription at a special price of €2.99 per month, down from the standard €6.64. The promotional period lasts 6, 12, or 24 months, depending on the tariff plan. Additionally, users gain full access to YouTube Music Premium, featuring a catalogue of over 100 million songs. A1 Bulgaria’s digital offering already includes Netflix, HBO Max, SkyShowtime, VOYO, FilmBox+, and 7Arts, along with sports content from MAX Sport Plus.
Ukrainian TV services hit by Russian strikes
Russian attacks on data centres have disrupted cable TV and streaming services in Kiev and other cities across Ukraine. Local reports say that signals from such TV channels as STB, 1+1 and Channel 5, along with the streamers Megogo and Sweet.tv, were affected. The ISPs Domonet, Faust and Kievnet also sustained damage to infrastructure, resulting in interruptions to their services.
Major upgrade for Slovakia’s Magio TV
Slovak Telekom has significantly overhauled its Magio TV platform, The changes include a redesigned interface; new tiering and increased pricing, along with the introduction of a new XXL package containing over 200 channels; standardised cloud features; an expanded VOD library featuring over 500 titles; and more flexible access to sports content. Inside CEE Television notes that the changes have been introduced to coincide with the 20thanniversary of Magio TV’s launch. Local reports indicate that Magenta TV, its sister service in the Czech Republic, may soon also be upgraded. Both its operator T-Mobile CZ and Slovak Telekom are fully owned subsidiaries of Deutsche Telekom.
New COO for Kyivstar
Ukraine’s Kyivstar Group has announced it is refining its management model and introducing the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Volodymyr Lutchenko, who has led Kyivstar’s technical division since 2021, will assume this new leadership role on October 2. As COO, he will be responsible for ensuring the effective execution of the business strategy, maintaining network continuity and reliability, delivering high-quality customer service, and driving operational efficiency and business resilience.
Synamedia secures Slovenian client
Telekom Slovenije is opening up new advertising opportunities on international linear TV channels using Synamedia Iris. The new service enables advertising airtime on international channels to be sold locally, giving brands new ways to reach TV audiences in Slovenia. Managed by TSmedia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telekom Slovenije Group, the service uses Synamedia Iris ad regionalisation technology to replace international ad spots with locally sold advertising for Slovenian audiences. This allows TSmedia to monetise advertising opportunities on international channels that were previously unavailable to the local market. The service currently supports advertising on AMC and BBC.
Additional role for David Mrzena
David Mrzena is now responsible for the media strategy of the streaming service Oneplay as well as TV Nova at the Czech Republic’s Nova Group. He has been the head of media strategy at the group since April, prior to which he held a number of key positions at Publicis Groupe.
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