Fast Forward - Pay-TV

Sky News to launch Arabic service

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:02:00 --0100

Sky News has announced plans to launch an Arabic language news channel. The news broadcaster is in discussions with a private investor to run a joint venture based in Abu Dhabi, and airing across the Middle East and North Africa region. If all goes to plan, the launch will happen within the next two years.

Murdoch plots BSkyB takeover

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:31:00 --0100

The BSkyB board has rebuffed an offer by Rupert Murdoch to take full control of the BSkyB business.

Piracy stifling Vietnam pay-TV market

Mon, 17 May 2010 19:02:00 --0100

The Vietnam pay-TV market is being held back by signal piracy, warned CASBAA at its Vietnam pay-TV industry seminar in Hanoi last week. According to CASBAA, the cost of pay-TV piracy in Vietnam in 2009 was $15m, up by 17%. That figure is expected to substantially increase in 2010.

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) acquires new members

Tue, 04 May 2010 12:35:00 --0100

The CASBAA has added four corporate members to its ranks. Hong Kong based Asia Media Solutions and APT Group have joined, as have Vietnamese content distributor Q.net and UK channel operator Travel Channel International. It marks the second time this year that the organisation has added four members.

Virgin Media releases Q1 results

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:34:00 --0100

Virgin Media reported first-quarter revenue up 2.9% to £963.2m, although pre-tax losses widened to £162.3m. Encouragingly, the company added a net total of 38,300 new cable subscribers during the quarter; chief exec Neil Berkett identified HDTV as particularly advantageous in attracting more subs.

Colors enters UK market

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:15:00 --0100

The Indian entertainment channel, Colors, is set to launch in the UK on the Sky digital platform.

BSkyB to acquire Virgin Media channels

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:19:00 --0100

Virgin Media is understood to be in final-stage talks to sell its wholly-owned TV channels - including Virgin 1, Bravo, Challenge, and Living - to BSkyB.

Comcast buys 51% stake in NBC Universal

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:05:00 --0100

America's biggest cable company, Comcast, struck a deal yesterday to take a 51% stake in media empire NBC Universal, creating a new entertainment powerhouse. But it is expected that the tie-up will be subject to tough scrutiny by competition authorities. Comcast delivers television, internet and phone services to nearly 24 million cable customers, while assets within NBC universal include the NBC television network, the Hollywood studio Universal Pictures, and cable channels, such as CNBC, Bravo and Style. Commenting on the deal, Comcast's chairman, Brian Roberts, said it was a "perfect fit" that would allow his company to "become a leader in the development and distribution of multi-platform 'anytime, anywhere' media that American consumers are demanding".

Mediaset ordered to take advertising from Sky Italia

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:47:00 --0100

Italian broadcaster Mediaset was told by a court yesterday that it could not simply refuse to take advertising from rival Sky Italia, which is owned by News Corp. It said Mediaset's actions were anti-competitive and favoured Premium, its own pay-TV service. Mediaset, which is controlled by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has been trying to break down Sky Italia's dominance of the pay-TV market in Italy, and competition between the two broadcasters has intensified in recent months.

BSkyB profit soars

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:08:00 --0100

Impressive quarterly results from BSkyB, whose net profit leapt by 75% year-on-year to £128m for the three months to the end of September on revenue up 10% at £1.38bn. Operating profit before exceptionals was up 8.8%. Subscriber numbers rose by 94,000 during the quarter, taking the total to 9.5 million.

BSkyB secures surprise ad deal with Discovery

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:40:00 --0100

BSkyB has secured an advertising deal with Discovery Europe, the broadcasting group that owns the Discovery Channels, bringing an end to a year-long legal dispute between the two companies. The four-year contract is believed to be worth around £200 million, and BSkyB's Sky Media will represent Discovery as its sole airtime advertising sales agent in the UK.

Ofcom allows BT to discount bundled services

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:39:00 --0100

Ofcom has lifted restrictions placed on BT in the mid-1980s, paving the way for more competition between telecoms companies. BT will be able to introduce new bundled packages this autumn, and its 14 million landline customers could see their telephone, broadband and pay-TV bills reduced. BT's competitors, such as Virgin Media and BSkyB, have been able to package together two or more services and sell the bundle for less than the services would cost individually. Previously, BT was only able to sell such packages for a price equal to the sum of all parts.

ESPN strikes UK pay-TV deals

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:22:00 --0100

Sports broadcaster ESPN has finalised agreements with the four biggest pay-TV providers in the UK to broadcast its new sports channel. Sky, Virgin Media, BT and Top-Up TV have all signed up to show ESPN's content including the Premier League football matches to which it has the rights. BT has announced it will provide ESPN's channels for free to customers taking one of its Gold, Silver or Bronze packages, while Top-Up TV will offer the first month free and then charge £9.99 per month thereafter for the content.

Reality TV boosts new Indian channel

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:24:00 --0100

Of all the hundreds of channels launched during India's pay-TV channel explosion of 2007-2008, it is one of the first to launch - Colors - that has made the greatest impact. The channel's strategy of targeting younger audiences with reality TV hits like Fear Factor and Bigg Boss helped it become one of the top three channels just a year after its debut. It now jostles for position with News Corp's long-established Star TV.

Ofcom suggests price regulation for Sky channels

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:29:00 --0100

Media regulator Ofcom yesterday released its latest pay-TV consultation, in which it proposes that Sky make its premium sport and film channels available to other suppliers at lower prices. It also made noises about the possibility of its taking a firmer line on increasing competition for VoD film rights and Premiere League football rights, the latter of which come up for renewal in 2012.