Sweden’s largest cablenet Com Hem has replaced MTG’s TV8 with rival network TV4 Plus in parts of its analogue network. Between 150,000 and 200,000 homes are impacted in areas that have not been upgraded to digital.
“This is a calculated setback and part of the agreement when the deal was deal was signed,” an MTG spokesman told Broadband TV News. “We knew it would be a temporary decrease for TV8 and will go up again as digitisation takes place. He added that awareness of TV8 had now reached 57% with the technical distribution much higher. The channel is still available to 1,449,000 homes on Com Hem’s analogue network. TV4 Plus has meanwhile grown its awareness to 81%.
TV8 was initially placed in a temporary position on Com Hem’s info channel last September. This lasted until June 30, 2008 when the channel was moved to a better position, albeit with the reduction in penetration.
The move will nevertheless be a blow to TV8, which targets an older more educated audience, and has secured the rights to Sweden’s home football internationals starting with a friendly against France on August 20.
