German commercial TV group ProSiebenSat.1 will drop the encryption of the high-definition versions of its free-to-air channels during Easter on all distribution platforms.
The promotional move enables free reception of the signals during the holiday period without a smart card throughout Germany.
From Good Friday, 18 April 2014, until Easter Monday, 21 April 2014, Sat.1 HD, ProSieben HD, kabel eins HD, sixx HD and ProSieben Maxx HD will be open to all viewers with HD reception equipment.
The channels which normally have to be subscribed to for a monthly fee will then be available to a total of more than 10 million digital TV households. The encryption will be switched off automatically by the platform operators via cable, satellite and IPTV.