CABLE CONGRESS 2008 – MADRID. Contrasting pictures of the UK and Spanish markets were provided at this year’s Cable Congress by Neil Berkett and Richard Alden, the respective CEOs of Virgin Media and ONO.
According to Berkett, Virgin Media operates in a sector served by “serious heavyweights”, with six companies having a valuation of over €10 billion. However, in his view “tough markets breed the right approach”.
Berkett added that the UK TV market can be divided into three sectors: premium, which has 6 million subscribers and has stopped growing; medium, with 7-8 million homes receiving basic pay-TV and still expanding; and FTA.
Alden conceded that while there are not as many “heavyweights” in Spain as in the UK, competition remains intense.
He also said that ONO’s VOD buy rates were up by as factor of three in the last nine months and the company is both investing in a new EPG and planning to launch a PVR service later this year.
