ITV

Tag: satellite TV

  • Satellite TV to overtake cable TV revenue by 2016: Study

    Satellite TV to overtake cable TV revenue by 2016: Study

    MUMBAI: By 2016 satellite TV revenue will overtake cable TV revenue for the first time.

    Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its November 2012 Pay TV Services and Subscribers report, which forecasts and analyzes the telco Internet protocol television (IPTV), cable video, and satellite video services markets.

    The global pay-TV market (cable, satellite, and telco IPTV) totaled $137 billion in the first half of 2012 (1H12), a 9.4 per cent increase over the same time last year. Global pay-TV service revenue is forecast by Infonetics to grow at a seven per cent CAGR from 2011 to 2016, spurred by emerging markets India, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Russia and China.

    Latin America, the smallest but fastest-growing pay-TV market, is on track to jump by 23 per cent this year to top $23 billion. The number of global pay-TV subscribers will reach 719 million in 2012, up by six per cent from 2011.
    While cable subscribers continue to make up the lion’s share (60 per cent in the first half of the year) of pay-TV subscribers, growth is strongest in the telco IPTV segment, up by 19 per cent in the first half of this year over the second half of last year.

    Verizon and AT&T are neck-and-neck for revenue share in the fast-growing telco IPTV market, followed by France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom in Europe and NTT and CTC in Asia Infonetics Research directing analyst for broadband access, pay TV Jeff Heynen said, “Ongoing challenging economic conditions in the key revenue-generating markets of North America and Western Europe have resulted in slowing subscriber and revenue growth in the cable TV market”.

    Subscribers are far less loyal than they used to be. The cable TV industry is characterised more by churn than cord cutting, as subscribers take advantage of introductory pricing on satellite and IPTV subscriptions that’s 30-50 per cent below their cable bills. “DirecTV, Verizon, AT&T, and Virgin Media have all set their sights on existing cable subscribers, and they’re seeing their subscriber bases increase as cable TV subscriptions shrink,” Heynen said.

  • K Sera Sera looks to launch music channel; eyes buyout of Jhankar

    K Sera Sera looks to launch music channel; eyes buyout of Jhankar

    MUMBAI: K Sera Sera is putting its expansion plans in place. One among them: the launch of a music channel, for which it is in advanced negotiations with Jhankar TV to acquire a controlling stake.

    The company is also working out output deals which will allow it to have a strong movie production pipeline. On the agenda is a presence in international distribution and an entry into the home video segment. “Lining up movie production contracts is a high priority area. Discussions are on with several parties in this area,” says a source close to the company.

    K Sera Sera is in talks with Eros International Plc for a deal that in value terms could be around Rs 2 billion over a longer period, the source adds. Eros, which globally distributes Bollywood content, recently floated an initial public offering and is listed in the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

    “While the deal with Sahara was for just satellite TV rights, the talks with Eros are much broader in scope. Eros has entered into music rights and has a wide international movie distribution network. K Sera Sera has produced many movies. If the deal sails through, it will help the company scale up its movie pipeline,” says the source.

    K Sera Sera senior executives were not available for comment on both the music channel and the movie deal with Eros.

    On the music channel front, K Sera Sera plans to run it through a subsidiary company. By being producers of Bollywood movies, the channel will have a synergistic relationship.

    “We are in advanced talks with K Sera Sera for diluting majority stake. Since they have movie software, Jhankar TV stands to gain. But no conclusive agreement has been reached yet,” says Hamara Samay TV News Network Pvt Ltd president Zaheer Ahmad. Hamara Samay is the company that owns and operates Jhankar TV.

    K Sera Sera is, however, weighing other options including the possibility of launching the music channel on its own. “The company, though, realises the distribution problems of a new channel,” says the source.

  • Astro teams up with Thomson for STB with DVR

    Astro teams up with Thomson for STB with DVR

    MUMBAI: Thomson, the provider in digital video technologies, has entered into an agreement with Astro, the satellite TV operator in Malaysia to provide a new set-top box with digital video recorder. 

    At present, Thomson is providing Astro with an entry-level digital satellite TV set-top box in support of the operator’s ongoing customer acquisition programme. The new Thomson set-top box will enable Astro to launch Malaysia’s first DVR service, according to an official release.

    The deal to provide the new set-top box with digital video recorder coupled with an extension to the existing contract for entry-level set-top boxes is the fruit of Thomson’s commitment to broaden both its media and entertainment product offering and client base globally including in the Asia Pacific region.

    Thomson technology to help drive Astro’s growth strategy

    With over 1.8 million residential TV subscribers across Malaysia, Astro is the largest multi-channel TV business in Asia, outside Japan. The company is continuing to increase subscriber numbers by extending the content and services it provides customers.

    The new Thomson set-top box will enable Astro to launch the DVR service. In addition to the recording functionality, advanced features such as pausing or rewinding live TV, will give Astro subscribers greater control, choice and flexibility over what they watch and when, than ever before. Customer acquisition is a priority for Astro and Thomson’s set-top box expertise and technology will provide it with fully-featured products to help the operator achieve its new subscriber targets and tap new revenue streams, informs the release.

    “We are very excited to be launching the new DVR technology in Malaysia, re-enforcing our position of product innovator in the television domain. The continued expansion of our subscriber base in Malaysia is testament to the quality and variety of programmes and services we offer and the new generation platform is a perfect example of our desire to lead the field. We are very pleased to renew our long term partnership with Thomson drawing on its innovations, expertise and proven international track record.” said Astro Group COO David Butorac.”We are delighted to have achieved yet another milestone as Astro’s lead supplier for set-top boxes,” said Thomson CEO Satellite, Terrestrial and Cable Business unit Koen Van Driel. 

    “In selecting our DVR solution, Astro has demonstrated its confidence in Thomson’s ability to bring advanced content-delivery platforms to market. When taken with our agreements with major operators in the region such as Starhub in Singapore, AUSTAR in Australia and Tata Sky in India , this contract places Thomson at the forefront of the Asia-Pacific set-top box market,” he concluded.