UPC Nederland is adding the HD channels 24kitchen HD, ESPN America HD, MTV HD, Comedy Central/Kindernet HD and Shorts HD to its offer on April 23, bringing the total number in the format to 32.
The operator is also expanding its UPC Royaal bouquet, the cabler’s extended tier, with four SD channels, Shorts, Comedy Central Extra, Lite TV and Out-TV. Shorts is a channel specialising in short movies, while Lite TV brings music clips for grown-ups.
At the same time, UPC is replacing the international feed of MTV Live HD with a simulcast of the Dutch version of MTV, called MTV HD. ESPN America HD is added to the Sport1 premium package.
The cabler is dropping two public thematic channels, Geschiedenis 24 (History) and Consumenten 24, because they will stop broadcasting due to budget cuts at the Dutch public broadcaster’s umbrella organisation NPO. UPC will also end distribution of ESPN Classic.
Two digital channels, XMO and OUTTV, will become 24/7 channels rather than part-time services.