Chris Dziadul Chief East European Analyst
DTH: Cable: IPTV: DTT: Consolidation slowly starting. Digital take-up growing. Mixed fortunes. ASO achieved in some markets.
Pay-TV sector nearing saturation. Cable consolidation: UPC/Aster deal approved More to follow? TVN sale: Deal with Vivendi; DTH merger. Cyfrowy Polsat; innovation (LTE); Solorz-Zak moving into telecom sector. DTT up and running. ASO 2013. Internet on demand services growing rapidly.
TVP (Cyfrowy) Polsat TVN UPC Polska Cyfra+ TPSA Pubcaster with growing thematic channel portfolio Broadcaster. DTH platform Broadcaster; n and TNK (DTH) Leading cableco Vivendi-backed DTH platform Incumbent telco. DTH and IPTV operator
Region s largest DTH market, with Tricolor leading platform (9m subs, Nov 2011). Cable consolidation. NTK, operator of NKS, now backed by Rostelecom. Akado still target for Megafon. DTT transition under way, but doubts about 2015 completion target. Foreign involvement: MTG (CTC Media, Raduga); RTL (Ren TV ownership swap). Consolidation in telecom sector.
Gazprom Media CTC Media Tricolor TV NKS Akado Sistema Vimpelcom Assets include NTV and DTH platform NTV-Plus Operates CTC, DTV and Domashny Leading DTH platform. Backed by Gazprom Media Largest cableco. Operated by NTK Moscow-based cableco Interests include MTS and Comstar (Stream TV) Telco, owner of Beeline IPTV service Rostelecom Telco and key player in pay-tv sector. Likely to be merged with Svyazinvest
CME leading player in both markets: TV Nova and Markiza TV. Voyo on demand launched by both earlier this year. Skylink, CS Link head DTH sector: new response by UPC Direct. UPC leading cableco in both markets. Strong take-up of digital services. Both countries on track with transition to digital broadcasting.
TV Nova Markiza TV UPC Skylink Telefónica O2 Towercom Slovak Telecom Leading Czech broadcaster and thematic channel operator, owned by CME TV Nova s sister station in Slovakia Largest cableco in both markets; operates freesat (former UPC Direct) Leading DTH platform. Sold by TradeTec (CZ) and Towercom (SK) to M7 Group (Lux) in October 2011 Czech incumbent. Operates O2 TV IPTV service Slovak transmission company. Ownership links with TV Joj Operates DTH and IPTV service, the latter competing with Orange
DTH sector continuing to grow: new platform named Btel launched in June 2011. DTT succeeding after difficult start, with pay service MinDig TV Extra claiming over 30,000 subscribers in Q2. Magyar Telekom gaining DTH and IPTV subs, but losing cable market share. UPC and RCS&RDS (Digi) remain the key players in cable/dth sectors.
UPC RCS&RDS Magyar Telekom Antenna Hungária Leading cableco and also operates UPC Direct DTH platform Operates cable and DTH services under the Digi brand name Deutsche Telekom-backed cable, DTH and IPTV operator. Also has TV/broadband interests in Macedonia and Montenegro National transmission company. Operates MinDig TV/Extra DTT services
DTH market consolidating: AKTA Satelit and Boom TV taken over by Romtelecom earlier this year. However, new platform named Freesat may shortly be launched. UPC Romania performance improving, but rumours of sale to RCS&RDS persist. Unique market conditions, leading to price war between operators. DTT launch back on track?
RCS&RDS UPC Romtelecom Pro Plus (Pro TV) Intact Media Group Leading cable and DTH operator, using brand name Digi. Already has approx 3m pay-tv subs. Looking to expand and is increasingly focusing on content Second largest cableco and also operates DTH platform Focus Sat Incumbent telco. Operates DTH and IPTV platforms under Dolce brand name. Also increasingly important player in cable sector through subsidiary NextGen Leading CME-backed commercial broadcaster Another leading broadcaster. Interests include Antena group of TV channels
Attractive market for international players: CME, MTG both have a strong presence. Major cable consolidation through creation of Blizoo. DTH sector growing, with recently-launched Vivacom TV enjoying early success. Confusion over transition to digital broadcasting, with DTT licence awards challenged by EC earlier this year. ASO put back to 2015.
Blizoo Vivacom (BTC) NURTS MTG CME Largest cable operator, owned by Swedish investment fund EQT V Incumbent telco. Interests include the DTH platform Vivacom TV National transmission company, formerly owned by Vivacom. Key player in DTT transition Owns Nova Televizia group, which encompasses national station and several thematic channels Operates btv and thematic channels
Market with enormous potential, undergoing a huge transition. DTT set to launch this autumn following recent controversial digital channel awards. Two DTH platform failures (a record for the region!) Two more set to launch. Large cable market, Volia the leading operator. IPTV take-up still low but starting to grow.
Volia Ukrtelecom Zeonbud MTG Xtra TV Leading cable operator. Backers include Providence Equity Partners Incumbent telco, majority owned by Austria s Epic group since May 2011. Interests include IPTV operation Operator of four DTT muxes. Set to launch service this autumn Operates the Viasat Ukraine DTH platform New DTH platform, backed by Istil Group. Launched this autumn
Serbia Broadband (SBB) plays key role through Total TV DTH platform. Also leading cableco in home market. IPTV a huge success, especially in Croatia (MAXtv), though also Slovenia and increasingly Serbia. Croatia s B.net cooperating with SBB (Total TV). Bosnian station OBN now backed by Liberty Global s Chellomedia.
Serbia Broadband (SBB) RCS&RDS B.net T-HT Telekom Srbija/Telekom Slovenije Backed by Mid Europa Partners (MEP). Leading cableco and operates pan-regional Total TV DTH platform Digi present in Serbia and Croatia Leading cableco in Croatia. Backed by Telekom Austria through its local subsidiary since August 2011 Croatian incumbent telco. Operates highly successful MAXtv IPTV platform and a second through subsidiary Iskon Serbian and Slovenian incumbents, each operating a successful IPTV service
Two of the three countries (Latvia and Estonia) have already completed transition to digital broadcasting. Cable services highly developed in all three countries, with Lithuania the largest market. IPTV popular, especially in Estonia and Latvia. DTH services in the region provided by MTG s Viasat Broadcasting, which also has a strong presence in the free TV sector.
Starman Elion Baltkom Lattelecom TEO LT Largest cable operator in Estonia Leading Estonian telco. Backed by TeliaSonera Largest cableco in Latvia Latvian incumbent. Operates DTT and IPTV services Lithuanian incumbent. Also operates DTT and IPTV services
Capital markets starting to free up. Result: more M&As, with greatest activity short-term likely in cable. HD now commonplace in CEE. VOD, PVR, DOCSIS 3.0 being rolled out, 3D set to follow. Transition to digital terrestrial broadcasting: completed in some markets, problems in others. DTT and IPTV set to struggle in many markets due to high cable/dth penetration.
Chris Dziadul cdziadul@broadbandtvnews.com