Due to rising incomes and greater competition, the pay-TV market in Africa and the Middle East will enjoy the world’s highest growth rate over the next five years, with subscriptions increasing at a CAGR of 13 per cent and total regional pay-TV revenue to almost double 2008 levels by year-end 2013, according to a report […]
European satellite giant SES reported 2008 earnings hit by one-offs and trimmed its outlook for revenue growth this year, but said it was barely affected by the economic crisis. EBITDA rose 0.9 per cent to E1.10 billion. The figure included a E19.2 million hit from restructuring and the termination of IP-PRIME, its IPTV service in […]
Netflix, the world’s largest online movie rental service, has surpassed 10 million subscribers, a milestone that reflects the widespread and growing appeal of the company’s service. Netflix members can get unlimited DVDs delivered to their homes and can instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed over the Internet to their TVs and computers. In crossing […]
Viasat Broadcasting' fourth quarter results show development in Central and East Europe and an increase in premium subs. Viasat's Nordic pay-TV operations grew sales by 10% as the combination of price increases and new services pushed up ARPU by 13% to SEK 4,097. Premium subscribers increased by 14,000 on the quarter, thanks largely to last […]
From Branislav Pekic in Rome Italian public broadcaster RAI has become a multimedia operator by relaunching its website and offering users access to all content as well as personalized services. Two new web portals are now available which provide access to a total of 22 live channels. Seven of them are RAI's TV channels (Rai […]
Setanta is said to be seeking an urgent meeting with the Premier League in the hope it will help broker a deal to regain the rights it lost in the recent record-breaking TV auction. The Irish sports pay-TV broadcaster won only one package for the rights to broadcast the Premier League between 2010 and 2013, […]
Telenor Broadcast's Canal Digital added 12,000 DTH subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2008, ending the year with 1.113 million, down slightly from 1.131 million in 2007. The number of cable households increased by 5,000 in the three months to December 31, ending the year at 746,000, compared with 705,000 in 2007. Canal Digital posted […]
The second round of bidding for pay-TV rights of Premier League saw Sky secure one of the two remaining TV packages to air live games from 2010 to 2013, meaning it will have one more and Setanta one less than under the current deal. Setanta took the remaining package in the auction that netted the […]
With some analysts doubting Setanta's future after it failed to renew both its Premiere League packages, Access Industries, which is headed by the Russian-born US citizen Len Blavatnik, is understood to have acquired a stake of about 3%. Blavatnik’s petrochemicals business, Lyondell Basell filed for bankruptcy protection last month owing $26bn. Royal Bank of Scotland […]
Cable operator UPC Netherlands' video-on-demand service saw over 34 million requests from subscribers last year, the first full year of the service's operation. UPC said that about 50% of customers used the service on a monthly basis in the second half of the year, up from 40% in the first half. At the end of […]