Advanced Television

C4 commissions Vlogglebox

Channel 4 has commissioned a new Gogglebox-style review show for 16-24 year-olds featuring online viral content and a regular cast of young reviewers, exploring the content they consume beyond their television sets. Produced by Studio Lambert, a first series of 6 x 60 minute episodes of Vlogglebox will launch on E4 on June 18th. Vlogglebox […]

May 25, 2017

SPI/FilmBox launch FightBox HD in South Africa

SPI International / FilmBox is launching FightBox HD channel with Discover Digital, a digital media company in South Africa. FightBox HD is a 24/7 combat sports channel which presents multiple martial arts disciplines as well as live MMA and kickboxing events from Europe and the US. Discover Digital offers the channel on its IPTV service […]

May 25, 2017

Doctor Who gets brand boost in China

BBC Worldwide has announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chinese media company, Shanghai Media Group Pictures (SMG) that will see expansion of the Doctor Who brand in China. The agreement will see BBC Worldwide working with SMG  to increase the Doctor Who fan base in China, exploring future opportunities as well as exchanging expertise between […]

May 25, 2017

AccuWeather expands global reach with Android TV app launch

AccuWeather, a global player in weather information and digital media, has announced the launch of the new AccuWeather app for Android TV.  The highly customisable app delivers a unique, interactive weather experience to Android TV viewers and further expands AccuWeather’s cross-platform reach, as users rely on AccuWeather’s Superior Accuracy across devices and locations worldwide. The […]

May 25, 2017

Broadcast Products and FileCatalyst partnership

Broadcast Products, a division of Broadcast Solutions, has recently added FileCatalyst, an Emmy award-winning expert in managed file transfers and a leading accelerated file transfer solution, to its products portfolio. Both companies have announced today that they have developed a new channel distribution partnership with Broadcast Products to distribute FileCatalyst products in the DACH, CIS, […]

May 25, 2017

EU sets 30% content quota for European SVoD

The European Council has signed off the proposal for a revised directive on audiovisual media services (AVMS). At the heart is a 30 per cent content quota for European SVoD services. The Council says aim of the proposal is to respond to the unprecedented technological and market changes of digital shift and to boost the […]

May 24, 2017

Analysts: Amazon Channels not a threat to pay-TV

According to Jonathan Broughton, Senior Analyst at research firm IHS Markit, and Tim Westcott, Senior Principal Analyst, the launch by Amazon of Amazon Channels, an offering of subscription channels and apps available to Amazon Prime customers, in the UK and Germany, should not be seen as offering an alternative to the Sky packages available in […]

May 24, 2017By Colin Mann

Research: Pay-TV customer satisfaction fades

Customer satisfaction with subscription television is down 1.5 per cent to 64, tied with Internet Service providers for last place among 43 industries tracked by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). New ACSI results show that wireless service is the only telecom industry to improve. Internet service providers, fixed-line telephone and cell phones are unchanged, […]

May 24, 2017

Altice unveils new global strategy and identity

Multinational cable, fibre, telecommunications, content and media company Altice has announced a new unified global strategy, which it says represents a new step in the Group’s evolution to strengthen its industrial and operational platform. This follows Altice’s transformation into a leading transatlantic telecoms, content and advertising company serving more than 50 million customers around the […]

May 24, 2017

Malta: Melita, Vodafone quad-play merger

In a move that creates a new, fully-integrated communications provider in Malta, Apax Partners Midmarket, Fortino Capital and Vodafone Group are to combine cable, broadband and pay-TV provider Melita and Vodafone Malta. The transaction combines Vodafone Malta, the country’s leading mobile operator with a 4G mobile network covering 99 per cent of the Maltese population, […]

May 24, 2017By Colin Mann