Vodafone launches FTTH in Spain

Vodafone launches FTTH in Spain:

Vodafone launches FTTH in Spain

Juan Fernandez Gonzalez | 25-03-2014



ONO’s recent purchase doesn’t seem to have changed Vodafone’s Spanish plans, as the British telco is set to commercially launch a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) service in the country on 1 April.



The Internet service will be completed with a pay-TV offer of Canal+’s premium channels.



The fibre service will be available in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Malaga and Zaragoza - among the country’s largest cities. The telco’s network, which it will also share with Orange, will offer download speeds of up to 200Mbps, allowing greater support for streaming and video-on-demand (VOD).



However, the uploading speed will be quite limited, from 10Mbps to 20Mbps depending on the price plan. The different packages are thought to include Internet, mobile and fixed telephony. The pay-TV offer will be launched at a later date, according to the telco.



Vodafone has managed to procure some of Canal+’s channels for its Vodafone Box offer, and in the coming months it will offer the complete schedule of Canal+1, Canal+ Champions League as well as movies and series on-demand.



The telco has now gained a pay-TV customer base of nearly one million through its purchase of ONO, but has not yet unveiled its future plans for Spain’s largest FTTH operator.

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StudioCanal promotes Romain Bessi to COO

StudioCanal promotes Romain Bessi to COO:

StudioCanal promotes Romain Bessi to COO

Pascale Paoli-Lebailly | 25-03-2014



Canal+’s movie production and distribution outfit StudioCanal has appointed Romain Bessi as chief operating officer, in charge of overseeing StudioCanal’s activities of in the UK and Australia/New Zealand.



He will also spearhead the integration of the TV production and acquisition business of Tandem in Germany and RED in UK. Both have been recently acquired by StudioCanal.



Since 2007, Bessi has been managing director of strategy, finances and technical exploitation, and he will continue with these responsibilities.



StudioCanal has also appointed Géraldine Gendre as director of production and distribution for France. She joined StudioCanal in 2012 as head of production France.



Both report to CEO Olivier Courson.

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Grass Valley to provide new Atresmedia HD studio

Grass Valley to provide new Atresmedia HD studio:

Grass Valley to provide new Atresmedia HD studio

Juan Fernandez Gonzalez | 25-03-2014



Atresmedia is to fit out its new HD studio with several live production solutions from Grass Valley. The Spanish media company, which operates eight free-to-air (FTA) DTT channels, expects the studio to be operational by the end of April.



The solutions provided by Grass Valley include the Karrera video production centre switcher with K-Frame, as well as a K2 Dyno replay system. This technology will enable Atresmedia to double its on-air studio production capabilities and make its current workflow more consistent.



“The concept of our new studio design is based on an architecture of centralised production resources,” explained Raul Lorenzo, head of broadcast engineering & technical support at Atresmedia. “A few months ago, Grass Valley loaned us a Karrera switcher, and we were satisfied with its easy-to-use features such as its intuitive control panel and touchscreen side panel.”



The Karrera gives Atresmedia considerably more production flexibility and power to manage its various TV channels, mostly thanks to its intuitive control panel, touchscreen side panel interface and full 3G 1080p50/60 HD support.



Grass Valley’s replay system will provide a comprehensive set of live production replay tools that are seamlessly integrated for use in non-linear, file-based production environments.



“Switching and replay technology are key to the successful function of any broadcast environment, and we’re pleased to have provided such an established company like Atresmedia with the necessary tools it needs to deliver a more paralleled workflow,” said Said Bacho, senior VP for EMEA at Grass Valley.

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Sony powers Mediapro's El Clasico 4K production

Sony powers Mediapro's El Clasico 4K production:

Sony powers Mediapro’s El Clasico 4K production

Juan Fernandez Gonzalez | 25-03-2014



Mediapro’s 4K production of the El Clasico football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona held in Santiago Bernabeu on 23 March, was powered by Sony.



The company’s 4K cameras provided the first UltraHD signal of a football league match to the world. Next season’s La Liga matches will all be produced in 4K.



At the stadium, Mediapro installed two Sony 4K cameras PMW-F55 – with over eight million pixels – and filmed the match’s highlights. Mediapro’s production team received the pictures on two 4K Sony PVM-X300 screens.



The Catalan producer and Sony chose a match with a worldwide audience to present its new 4K project. El Clasico – a contest between two of the best football teams in the world with the always special rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – is watched all around the world and broadcast by the main international networks. From Fox Australia to DirecTV and ESPN in the Americas, the match was also broadcast by Canal+ (including Africa), beIN Sports, Sky Sports, CCTV 5 in China and Wowow in Japan, among many others.



Sony says it is fully committed to 4K development for the audiovisual sector, both on the professional side and also for the final customer. The company has covered various sporting events using 4K technology, including Wimbledon, WTA Qatar Total Open and the FIFA Confederations Cup, and is now looking to Brazil’s World Cup this summer.



During the biggest sporting event of the year, which will draw millions of viewers, Sony will produced all the matches in HD, keeping the 4K technology only for the final game.

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Hispasat launches Amazonas 4A ready for World Cup

Hispasat launches Amazonas 4A ready for World Cup:

Hispasat launches Amazonas 4A ready for World Cup

Juan Fernandez Gonzalez | 25-03-2014



Hispasat has successfully launched the Amazonas 4A satellite from the European base in French Guyana and says it’s ready to offer full coverage of Brazil’s World Cup this summer.



This was the third time Hispasat had attempted to launch the satellite, on board an Arianne 5 rocket – the launch was initially scheduled for 6 November 2013. The satellite was launched this time together with the SES Astra 5B.



According to EFE, quoting Elena Pisonero, president of Hispasat, the group intends to consolidate its position in Latin America. “We have reached a solid position in the region in order to cover the important events that are taking place there,” explained Pisonero.



“We have a renewed project and have launched three satellites in two years, not only to compete in Europe and LATAM, but also in Asia,” he added.



Amazonas 4A was built by the US company Orbital Sciences in collaboration with the Spanish space industry. Hispasat brings TV and Internet to over five million houses in Latin America, one million in Portugal and 200,000 in Spain.

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ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet will fly to the International Space Station in 2016

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet will fly to the International Space Station in 2016:

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet has been assigned to a long-duration mission on the International Space Station, it was announced today.



The assignment of the French-born astronaut was announced by ESA’s Director General Jean Jacques Dordain in the presence of the French Minister for Higher Education and Research, Geneviève Fioraso, and the President of the French space agency, CNES, Jean-Yves Le Gall.



The announcement was made in coordination with the international partners of the International Space Station.



With Thomas Pesquet’s assignment, all six ESA astronauts from the class of 2009 will have flown to the Station on missions within seven years of graduation.



The Director General noted: “Thomas’ mission assignment concludes the first phase for our newest members of the ESA astronaut corps which was to make each of them assigned to a spaceflight.



“This is a clear demonstration of the reputation of ESA among the international partners of ISS as well as of ESA astronauts among the international community of astronauts. The flight experience gained by this new class of ESA astronauts is providing a solid ground for ESA Member States to contribute to further international human exploration missions .”



Born in Rouen, France, Thomas will be the 10th Frenchman to go to space, following Léopold Eyharts who supported the commissioning and first utilisation of ESA’s Columbus microgravity laboratory on the Space Station.



As a partner in the Station, ESA is entitled to use its resources, which include supporting missions of European astronauts.



During Thomas’ mission, an atomic clock will be installed on the Station to connect with other atomic clocks on Earth to test Einstein’s theory of relativity and allow even more accurate world timekeeping. The results could double the accuracy of satellite navigation, allowing us to pinpoint our location on Earth with even higher precision.



Thomas studied as an aerospace engineer before working as a commercial airline pilot.



ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations and former astronaut, Thomas Reiter, says: “I remember this exciting moment of mission assignment very well, and I’m very happy that Thomas Pesquet is now in this situation.



“There is an exciting road ahead for Thomas, learning all the systems of the International Space Station and the unique scientific experiments that he will conduct in space.”



Thomas comments on his assignment: “I am happy to have been selected for a mission but this is just the start of a new phase for me – there is a lot of work to do and a lot to learn before my flight.



“I will consider my dream complete when I am working on the International Space Station.”

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First year of net sub losses but US pay-TV barely scratched by cord-cutting

First year of net sub losses but US pay-TV barely scratched by cord-cutting:

A survey from the Leichtman Research Group (LRG) has found that despite the huge uptake of online video and over the top (OTT) services, the thirteen largest US multi-channel video providers lost only 0.1% of subscribers in 2013.



LRG calculated that the providers, representing about 94% of the market, lost in total around105,000 net video subscribers in 2013 and that annual net multi-channel video additions were about 280,000 fewer than in 2012, when the industry added about 175,000 subscribers.



Looking at the split by platform, the research found that by the end of 2013, the top multi-channel video providers accounted for over 94.6 million subscribers, with the top nine cable companies having 49.6 million video subscribers, satellite TV companies having 34.3 million subscribers, and top telephone companies having 10.7 million subscribers.



Yet each platform performed in rather different ways in 2013. The top nine cable companies lost about 1.735 million video subscribers in 2013, compared with a loss of about 1.4 million in 2012. By contrast the leading telcos added 1,460,000 IPTV subscribers in 2013, up from 1.298 million net adds in 2012. Satellite TV providers added 170,000 video subscribers in 2013, compared with 288,000 net additions in the previous year.



“2013 was the first year for multi-channel video industry losses, but the modest losses represent only about 0.1% of all subscribers,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “While the overall market remains fairly flat, further share-shifting has taken place. Cable providers now have a 52% share of the top multi-channel video subscribers in the US, compared to a 58% share three years ago.”

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TV Connect 2014: Comigo enhances cloud-based TV solution

TV Connect 2014: Comigo enhances cloud-based TV solution:

TV Connect 2014: Comigo enhances cloud-based TV solution

Editor | 15-03-2014



Aiming to allow pay-TV operators to provide a personalised, social, and engaging TV experience on any screen, and most crucially without massive Capex, Comigo has enhanced its cloud-based TV solution.



To be unveiled at TV Connect 2014, the cloud-based solution is claimed to be able to offer ‘unique’ features and capabilities that can be integrated with existing back-end solutions and front-end clients. It is also designed to complement the viewing experience of live TV channels, VOD, and over the top (OTT) content. Operators can adopt the client-based solutions for Android-based OTT/hybrid set-top boxes, HDMI sticks, smart TVs, and Comigo’s Mobile Client Apps for smartphones and tablets.



“As pay-TV operators look to enrich their TV service offering with personal and social TV experiences and capitalise on additional revenue opportunities in the multiscreen environment, they need a flexible solution for managing and rolling out new features and services,” explained Sigalit Klimovsky, CMO, Comigo. “Comigo’s cloud-based TV solution gives pay-TV operators and broadcasters the flexibility to launch these services quickly and effectively at the time of their choice.”

http://www.satsupreme.com/showthread.php/281936-TV-Connect-2014-Comigo-enhances-cloud-based-TV-solution?goto=newpost via SatSupreme.com - Satellite TV - Daily Satellite TV News

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Liberty Global takes total control of VTR

Liberty Global takes total control of VTR:

Liberty Global takes total control of VTR

Editor | 15-03-2014



As it continues its sweeping up of cable TV assets across the world, Liberty Global has acquired the remaining 20% share that it did not own Chile’s largest cable operator VTR.



The John Malone-owned media giant purchased the shares from a subsidiary of Corp Group Holding Inversiones Limitada in exchange for 10.1 million Liberty Global Class C ordinary shares in a deal whose share consideration had a market value of approximately $422 million.



VTR now joins a stable including Virgin Media, UPC, Unitymedia, Kabel BW and Telenet. The company has been highly regarded by Liberty Global and only weeks ago announced that it would reinforce its multiscreen presence and launch a TV everywhere service.



At the same time, Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries noted that VTR was one of the fastest growing companies in which it had a stake. Commenting on taking full control of VTR, Fries added: “Based on the solid foundation we have developed with Corp Group over the last few years, VTR will now enter its next phase of growth in the dynamic Chilean market…We would like to thank Alvaro Saieh Bendeck, his son Jorge Andres Saieh and the Saieh family for their on-going support and the strong relationship and success we have built together.

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WWE, ProSiebenSat.1 multi-platform partnership

WWE, ProSiebenSat.1 multi-platform partnership:

WWE, ProSiebenSat.1 multi-platform partnership

By Nik Roseveare



WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and ProSiebenSat.1 have signed an expansive multi-year rights deal to deliver WWE’s content to the German and Austrian markets through free TV, pay-TV and Subscription VoD. The partnership includes:



- WWE pay-per-view events through online video store maxdome – including WrestleMania 30 on April 7th

- Weekly episodes of Monday Night RAW and NXT on ProSieben FUN pay-TV.

- Weekly episodes of SmackDown on ProSieben MAXX



“This new deal with ProSiebenSat.1 provides WWE fans with a great choice of platforms with massive reach to follow the storyline of WWE’s flagship programming,” said Stefan Kastenmueller, General Manager of WWE Germany. “Coupled with the increased activities from our team to bring the very best of all of our lines of business to the German market including Live Events, PPV, Consumer Products and Digital Services, we are set to solidify WWE’s footprint in Germany,”

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MediaPro hits DEN Networks with 72 channel threat

MediaPro hits DEN Networks with 72 channel threat:

MediaPro hits DEN Networks with 72 channel threat

By Chris Forrester





India’s MediaPro content aggregator has told cable MSO DEN Networks saying that it will close down at least 72 major entertainment channels unless DEN pays up for past subscriptions and properly accounts for active subscriber numbers.



MediaPro has given DEN three weeks to pay up, and the action includes not just DEN’s own cable subscribers but those hooked into the dozens of other Local Cable Operators served by DEN.



A DEN Networks official said that the operator had invested heavily in India’s digitisation scheme, and that once cash was collected it would pay the claims.



The list of channels affected covers many of India’s most popular broadcasters, including: Cartoon Network, CNN, ETC, Zee ETC Punjabi, HBO, Pogo, Warner Brothers, Zee Action, Zee Bangla, Zee Business, Zee Café, Zee Cinema, Zee Classic, Zee Jagran, Zee Kannada, Zee Marathi, Zing, Zee News, Zee UP UK, Zee Premier, Zee Punjabi Haryana Himachal Pradesh, Zee Salaam, Zee Smile, Zee Studio, Zee Talkies, Zee Tamil, Zee Telugu, Zee Trendz, Zee TV, Star Movies, Star Plus, Star World, Star World, Star Gold, National Geographic Channel, Fox Traveller, Life OK, Star Vijay, Channel V, MGM, ABP Ananda, Star Jalsa, FX, Fox Crime, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure, Nat Geo Music, Baby TV, NDTV 24X7, NDTV Profit, NDTV Good Times, NDTV India, Suvarna, Star Utsav, ABP News, Zee Khana Khazana, Movies OK, Star Pravah, ABP Majha, Asianet, Asianet Plus, Star Movies Action, Zee Bangla Cinema, ZeeQ, Star Jalsa Movies, 9X, Asianet Movies, Zee Madhya Pradesh Chhatisgarh, Suvarna Plus, Zee Marudhara, & Pictures and Zee Anmo,. Zee 24 Gantalu, 24 Ghanta and Zee 24 Taas.

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France opens football bidding early

France opens football bidding early:

France opens football bidding early

By Chris Forrester





France’s Professional Football League (LFP) has brought forward by a year the bidding process for TV exclusivity for the 2016-2020 seasons. The bidding will start in April, one year earlier than expected.



This extremely short notice doesn’t help either of the two anticipated big bidders: Canal Plus because of uncertainty over its own ownership plans, or Al Jazeera’s beIN Sports operation, and anxieties over Al Jazeera’s coverage with neighbours Saudi Arabia because of political tensions between Al Jazeera’s Qatari backers, and Saudi Arabia.



Currently the rights are shared with Canal+ airing two top games each week, and beIN Sports carrying the other 8 top games.



Enders Analysis, in a note to clients, says: “ The LFP rights are precisely packaged to prevent this, and to force the two to compete at least for one lot. As the market leader Canal+ has more to lose, while beIN Sports could sustain its current complementary positioning with fewer games.”



However, other potential bidders could also emerge. Top of the list is sports rights agency MP & Silva, who have been aggressive in mopping up exclusive rights which they then parcel out to the highest bidders. MP & Silva have more than 10,000 hours of contracted rights including a ton of soccer exclusivities. For example they already manage the Belgian Jupiler Pro-League, international rights for Brazilian football, rights for certain Greek overseas sales.

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Argentina’s Antina incorporated HD

Argentina’s Antina incorporated HD:

Argentina’s Antina incorporated HD

by Hernán Amaya | March 13, 2014



Wireless Pay TV Argentine operator Antina added channels in high definition to its Pay TV service. At the beginning the company will offer 26 HD channels including TV Pública, HBO, Espn, Fox, Fox Sports, Disney Channel, History Channel, Sony, Warner Channel, Cinecanal and BBC.



The basic plan lineup (USD 24 per month in the postpaid option and USD 18.5 as prepaid) doesn’t offer any high definition channels. Users that wish to enjoy this improvement in the image quality must subscribe to the Digital Gold HD plan (postpaid) at USD 32.7 or the Cine Premium HD plan (prepaid) at USD 25.4, which includes 11 HD Channels. They will also be able to subscribe to the HD Plus plan for an extra USD 7.6 (postpaid) or USD 6.8 (prepaid), which offers 15 extra HD channels.



Antina is a Pay DTT operator that uses the UHF band which covers the Great Buenos Aires (metropolitan area of Argentina’s capital city). Along with HD, it also incorporated DVR services so that users can record their shows.

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Brazil demanded that the Shop Tour, Mega TV and TV Cachoeira channels reduce their ad

Brazil demanded that the Shop Tour, Mega TV and TV Cachoeira channels reduce their ad:

Brazil demanded that the Shop Tour, Mega TV and TV Cachoeira channels reduce their advertising space

by Hernán Amaya | March 13, 2014



The Brazilian Federal Justice ordered channels Shop Tour, Mega TV and TV Cachoeira to reduce their ad space, since they were exceeding the limit established at 25%. The networks will have to adequate their programming in less than 60 days.



The three channels have almost their whole programming dedicated to telesales services. TV Shop Tour was born in 1987 as a sales show and in 2001 was able to launch its own channel. Mega TV belongs to Grupo Objetivo and was originated after the extinction of CBI (news channel), while TV Cachoeira had been a TV Shop Tour repeater up until 2011.



The judicial process began in 2007 as an Intervozes initiative, an organization which defends the communication rights in Brazil. The decision also imposed a fine to the broadcasters for “collective moral damages”; each channel will have to pay 1% of their 2006 gross revenues.

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Youtoo plans for social TV in the Middle East

Youtoo plans for social TV in the Middle East:

Youtoo plans for social TV in the Middle East

Rebecca Hawkes | 12-03-2014



Youtoo, a US-based interactive TV software company is setting up shop in Dubai and working with local media outlets to launch social TV across the Middle East.



The company claims to have already attracted a couple of prominent investors in the Middle East, and to be working with some major players in the region to introduce interactive social TV to the market.



“Social TV allows viewers to directly interact in real time with TV programming using video, pictures, voting and social media for people to experience themselves on TV in full broadcast HD quality from the web or their mobile device. This revolutionary software changes the way everyone views and interacts with television,” Christopher Wyatt, founder and CEO of Youtoo Technologies, told Gulf News.



The technology uses mobile apps, social media and TV websites to drive viewership and new revenues for TV networks, Saud Al Twalah, CEO of Youtoo Technologies Middle East, told the UAE daily.



Markets & Markets forecast the market for global social TV will grow from US$151.14 billion this year to $256.44 billion by 2017.

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Al Aan prepares for HD broadcasting with Harris technology

Al Aan prepares for HD broadcasting with Harris technology:

Al Aan prepares for HD broadcasting with Harris technology

Rebecca Hawkes | 12-03-2014



Dubai-based satellite TV station Al Aan has implemented a new file-based high definition (HD) content management and playout technology from Harris Broadcast.



The women-centric Middle East satellite channel, which launched in 2006, has expanded its existing video servers by using a network of Harris Broadcast HD / SD Nexio server and storage technology, along with Nexio Motion intelligent media movement software, to allow customized workflows to suit the broadcaster’s operation.



“Our decision to select the Harris Broadcast servers and software stems back to the first-rate experience I had while at Jordan Media City, and I could see that the latest solution developments offered the best specifications and workflows for the project at Al Aan,” said Raad Haddadin, head of technical at Al Aan.



“As well as ADC automation, we also have Harris Broadcast’s Landmark sales and scheduling system, and the benefits of seamless integration from initial planning to final playout are huge.”



Al Aan plans to move its entire operation to HD, but initially Harris has supported its move from SD playout to 16:9 aspect ratio.



Mathias Eckert, vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Harris Broadcast, said: “We have worked closely and directly with Raad and the team at Al Aan on this project to smoothly move all their content and operations to the new workflows. They have already gone widescreen, and are ready for HD at the touch of a button.”

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Disney/ABC cool on 4K

Disney/ABC cool on 4K:

Disney/ABC cool on 4K

By Chris Forrester





Disney/ABC Television Group, while being totally supportive of 4K shooting and production for its own content, is less keen on 4K/Ultra-HD transmission.



A high-profile broadcasters’ panel at the Satellite 2014 show in Washington DC, heard tepid enthusiasm from two speakers as far as Ultra-HD is concerned. Martin Breidsprecher, CEO of TV Azteca’s Azteca America operation, said he did not see Ultra-HD coming to Mexico terrestrially for five-to-seven years, “and perhaps even longer”. He explained that Mexico was only just embracing HDTV, and the conversion from analogue to digital TV was taking longer – and was more challenging – than expected.



Vince Roberts, EVP/Global Operations & CTO at Disney/ABC Television Group, was also sceptical, saying he did not see 8K taking hold in the US in any sort of time frame. “We have only just converted some of our channels to HD here. The roll-out of UHD-1 or UHD-2 is going to take some time. The way we see it moving is pretty much the way Netflix is going. Cable operators with adequate bandwidth will offer the first iteration [of 4K]. For us to even contemplate a whole channel in 4K… is [difficult], there simply are not enough eyeballs out there to make a business case. Now if a cable or DTH satellite operator offered us a [decent] per month subscription then it might be a different argument.”



Roberts stressed Disney’s library was ready, and top-rated shows such as Criminal Minds were already coming out of ABC Studios in 4K. “We are building that archive. And we don’t feel that we as broadcasters should be subsidising the [display and Consumer Electronics] industry so that they can sell more sets.”

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Arabsat takes the top spot

Arabsat takes the top spot:

Arabsat takes the top spot

By Chris Forrester





This past few days has seen the annual Washington get-together for the satellite industry, and which this year has given a special focus on Arabsat’s president and CEO Khalid Balkheyour as the event’s ‘Satellite Executive of the Year’. It is an award that’s well deserved and is recognition of Arabsat’s growing importance in the world of satellite communications.



Balkheyour has been in post at Arabsat for some 10 years (he was previously an EVP at Lucent Technologies) and during that period he has taken a somewhat sleepy organisation to one of the fastest-growing satellite operators on the planet. The past year alone has seen Arabsat absorb Hellas-Sat, bargained a major cooperation with Qatar’s Es’Hail Sat and invested in new pay-TV operator MyHD.



Ten years ago, Arabsat was a failing organisation. It had two satellites in orbit, one of which was suffering some severe technical issues. It was a slow-to-act governmental-dominated operation that needed (to use a polite expression) a kick up the pants!



He did exactly that, and restructured every aspect of the business putting the operation on a solid footing ready for expansion. New satellites were designed and ordered at a spectacular rate. But more than any of this he migrated Arabsat towards a hugely more commercial business, that was able to move swiftly to respond to market demands and changes, and at the same take existing customers forward as the industry matured. Indeed, he totally changed the mentality of the Board, its shareholders and staff.



“Three years ago, we were ranked number 12 in terms of global fixed satellite service (FSS) operators. Then, two years ago, we went up to number 10, and last year, we have gone up to number seven. Hopefully, with the acquisition of Hellas-Sat, we will move up still further. We are not that far away from the number five spot. Of course, there is quite a gap between the ‘Big Four’ and the ‘Next Big Four’ but we want to be high in the next big four,” stated Khalid Balkheyour.



Every year, the conference has as its main keynote a gathering of the top players. It used to be the ‘big eight’, then the ‘big six’ as consolidation and mergers took their toll. Now it is just the ‘big four’ (SES, Intelsat, Eutelsat, Telesat) but perhaps next year the number should be expanded to the ‘big five’ and including Arabsat. That is certainly Balkheyour’s ambition. His aim is to grow Arabsat to be the world’s fifth-largest satellite operator. With annual double-digit growth in revenues that target cannot be far away. Balkheyour’s aim is to achieve that Number 5 position officially by 2020.



He told the Satellite 2014 organisers: “Arabsat is also working on several joint ventures and partnership agreements that are going to transform the whole broadcasting industry in the Middle East.”



“The acquisition of Hellas-Sat was very challenging and cautiously achieved by our shareholders. They were not questioning the validity of the deal, but we had a very cautious approach when pursuing it. It was a new organisation with new rules, but for us it did signify a breakthrough. Now that we have overcome that ‘phobia’ of going international, the appetite becomes bigger. If there is a chance now, we will go for it. We saw this as a learning curve for the organisation. We are still learning, but it was a good achievement and a good start for further deals, which I believe we are now ready for,” stated Balkheyour.



That ‘first step in the international waters’ is an indication of where Arabsat has to go next. From its Riyadh, Saudi Arabia HQ it is well-placed to serve the wider MENA and Africa/Asia regions with capacity. “[the expansion] was very important for us. When we looked at our strategic plan, we realised that if we don’t grow, we start to lose more market share. One of the ways to grow, after we have used up our entire spectrum and resources, we need to go beyond our market and look at other orbital slots and merging with companies,” Balkheyour told the conference.



“Acquiring another company is not easy, especially when you consider the size of the investment. In the meantime, I think we will go for more partnership/Condosat agreements, hosted payloads, etc. If you look at the regional dynamics now, and what we have seen with the Arab Spring, I don’t think many governments will now go with their own satellites. But they will look to join forces with companies similar to Arabsat, and we are on the lookout for those opportunities.”

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UK entertainment consumers flock to online video

UK entertainment consumers flock to online video:

UK entertainment consumers flock to online video

Joseph O’Halloran | 12-03-2014



Booming subscription sales by services like Netflix and LOVEFiLM are at the vanguard of a revolution in the way content is consumed in the UK says the latest Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) Yearbook.



The survey found that despite the numbers of outlets stocking music and video reaching an all-time high, and independent retailers ‘thriving’, digital access services such as streaming online video are on a roll, accounting for just over a quarter (26%) of the entertainment market in 2013. Overall Internet-derived sales — including home delivery, digital download and streaming and other access services — accounted for three-fifths of the £5.3 billion market in 2013. Looking at the video market as a whole, in 2013 physical stores were responsible for sales of £1.0195 billion, while online drove £1.0401 billion of revenue.



ERA calculated that video subscription services’ total revenues grew by 120% in 2013, and that in total, access models grew 35.6% in 2013 to reach £1.377 billion, just over a quarter of the entire entertainment market.



“This is stark evidence of the revolution in entertainment consumption being driven by entertainment retailers,” said ERA director general Kim Bayley. “The fact that 60p in the entertainment pound is now spent online and 26p in the pound is for access to content rather than ownership is a testament to the huge investment and technological ingenuity of retailers in providing consumers with new ways to enjoy the music, video and games they love.”



Among the key companies driving this revolution, said ERA was Netflix with reportedly more than two million UK subscribers and BSkyB which it said confirmed the convergence of broadcast and retail models with the launch of its NOW TV over-the-top (OTT) streaming service to complement the Sky Store and Sky Go.

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Multiscreen service delivery platform revenue set to more than double

Multiscreen service delivery platform revenue set to more than double:

Multiscreen service delivery platform revenue set to more than double

Michelle Clancy | 12-03-2014



Research from SNL Kagan MRG is predicting that total worldwide TV service delivery platform revenue will reach $1.3 billion in 2017, from a base of a little more than $900 million last year.



The analyst notes that in just a few short years the TV experience has made a major transition from set-top boxes (STBs) in fixed locations, controlled by pay-TV service providers, to today’s anytime, anywhere, any screen experience, including unmanaged devices. However, market segments are important in the analysis. Unit shipments of TV set-top boxes and home video gateways are expected to be relatively flat with little more than 500 million client devices being supported by TV service delivery platforms (SDPs) from pay-TV operators in 2017.



But the use of non-STB second-screen devices will continue to grow steadily as pay-TV operators have been compelled to take their offerings online to compete against OTT.



“Multiscreen delivery has become the baseline for any operator, not only to enable them to compete, but also to remain viable,” the firm noted.



SDPs have become a must for operators because they create and manage pay-TV services, TV subscribers and the TV consumer experience for both physical and virtual TV service territories when it comes to features, service entitlements and content merchandising.



“Because multiscreen service providers must create, deliver and coordinate a common experience with a common set of content and coordinated usage rules across all screens, client-side middleware without comprehensive server-side oversight and management is no longer sufficient,” said SNL Kagan.

http://www.satsupreme.com/showthread.php/281637-Multiscreen-service-delivery-platform-revenue-set-to-more-than-double?goto=newpost via SatSupreme.com - Satellite TV - Daily Satellite TV News

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