Polsat and TVN are making a pitch for Poland’s lucrative thematic channel market, which is worth some PLN800 million (€192.1 million) a year.
However, reports Gazeta Prawna, it is not so much through the launch of more services – the two national commercial broadcasters already have large portfolios of proprietary channels – but rather in working with others in the sale of commercial airtime.
This is likely to threaten the position of UPC Polska-backed Atmedia, hitherto the market leader, which undertakes sales for 54 stations and 45 internet sites.
Polsat, TVN and the public broadcaster TVP, along with Discovery, meanwhile continue to sell their own airtime.
Polsat, through Polsat Media, has recently signed up the BBC, and Viacom is now a client of TVN’s Premium TV.
There are currently over 170 local language channels available to viewers in Poland.
