CEE 2011 > Channels


Digital TV Europe June 2011


International channel


providers


continue to see central and eastern Europe as a significant growth market, despite the well- publicized economic challenges faced by a number of countries in the region. As the market matures, a number of international players are moving towards establishing a stronger local presence across the region’s key markets, creating local offices and launching local production initiatives.


Local presence


AETN’S Pawn Stars: one of the formats the broadcaster is considering making in CEE.


The extent of building a local presence depends on the relative strength of the chan- nel provider and on the business model. BBC Worldwide recently opened a local office in Poland and appointed former Polsat executive Jacek Koskowski as general manager. For the BBC, as for other channel providers, Poland, with the largest population amongst the cen- tral European EU states, a strong economy and a vibrant pay TV market, is the key mar- ket and test-bed for expansion elsewhere. “Poland is an important European market growing very strongly,” says Ian McDonough, senior vice-president and general manager, EMEA, BBC Worldwide Channels. BBC chan- nels are currently present on two of the major DTH platforms – ‘n’ and Canal Plus Cyfrowy – but lost their position on the third – Cyfrowy Polsat – with which they previously had an exclusive carriage deal. BBC Worldwide also has distribution with the country’s major cable operators. According to McDonough, BBC Worldwide is “realistic and flexible – we very much prefer to have non-exclusive deals”, which gives the channels reach and opens up the possibility to developing an advertising revenue stream, but if exclusivity is preferred by the distribution partner, such a deal will be considered on its merits.


As the CEE channel environment becomes more competitive, with new digital launches from local as well as international players, so channel providers have to differentiate through strong content and localization to stay ahead. Stuart Thomson reports.


Changing channels Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.net 12


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