Piracy continues to be a major problem in Ukraine’s cable industry, with only around 40% of its 700 operators owning a licence.
The figure was given by Sergey Boyko, the president of the country’s leading cablecom Volia, in discussions with the press in the cities of Sevastopol and Kharkov.
Boyko estimated the number of pay-TV subscribers in Ukraine to be between 3.5- 5 million, with Volia accounting for between 30-40% of the total. He also said that the ‘grey’ market in some Ukrainian cities now accounts for up to 40% of pay-TV subscribers.
Boyko in addition said that Volia is competing with a number of companies including Information Technology in Kiev and Triolan in Kiev and Kharkov.
Furthermore, he revealed that there had been no changes in Volia’s ownership structure since 2008 – its backers include Providence Equity Fund, Goldman Sachs, UGF lll, SBF lV and Eton Park – and none were being planned.
