We are now only days away from this year’s IBC.
From a Central and East European perspective, there is certainly much to look forward to at what is arguably the industry’s premier event. SES, for instance, will be dedicating one of its conference sessions, spread over three days, to the region.
Furthermore, numerous companies with a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe – among them such satellite operators as Telenor, Eutelsat and Amos – will be exhibiting at the event.
Conax, another long-established player in the region, will meanwhile be unveiling a rebrand as it seeks to increase its share of the multiscreen market.
There will also be a focus at IBC on the rollout of HbbTV services. Although this has been particularly pronounced in Western Europe, countries further east, principally Poland and the Czech Republic, have also made significant progress and others may soon follow.
This year’s IBC may also finally see the long-awaited launch of Liberty Global’s Horizon. While initially available in the Netherlands – and soon after Switzerland – it will in due course be rolled out in all the company’s markets in Central and Eastern Europe, starting with Poland in probably 2013.
IBC will be held against the backdrop of a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive marketplace. In the case of Central and Eastern Europe, we are seeing – amongst other things – the rapid growth of on demand and pay-TV services in Poland and Russia respectively.
Furthermore, multiscreen services are becoming increasingly popular, not just in the more developed markets but throughout the region.
IBC never disappoints and will be as relevant as ever to those with an interest in Central and Eastern Europe.
