The pace of change is likely to quicken in Central and Eastern Europe’s TV industry in 2013.
That in itself is perhaps not a surprising prediction, given the current trends in the industry as a whole. However, what happens in the region will probably be more intensive and far-reaching than in other parts of Europe, with some markets seeing exceptional levels of activity.
Take the DTH sector, which in Russia’s Tricolor TV already boasts one of the world’s top three platforms in terms of subscriber numbers. 2013 will see the launch of nC+, a new operation formed by the merger of Cyfra+ and n, in Poland. It will go head-to-head with Cyfrowy Polsat, upping the ante in what is already a highly competitive marketplace.
Meanwhile new platform launches can be expected in Ukraine (Lybid TV – finally) and perhaps the Balkan region. There may also be mergers and/or acquisitions in the pipeline, while in Russia Tricolor TV will probably continue its upward march, much to the annoyance of its rivals.
In the cable sector, we can expect to see the rollout of digital TV and additional services continue. Towards the end of the year, Liberty’s Horizon product should finally make its appearance, initially in Poland.
At the same time, the transition to digital broadcasting will be completed in some of the last markets (Poland and Bulgaria, for instance), with only a handful (including Russia) still left to do so after 2013. However, the new DTT landscape will still be a work in progress in most countries – even those that completed ASO some time ago – and it will be interesting to see which ones follow in the steps of the few to date, including Hungary and Estonia, in launching pay services.
Online on demand is now firmly established in several markets, though notably Poland and Russia. CME’s Voyo is already a key player in the six countries it is present in and is likely to strengthen its position still further.
All in all, we look set for an interesting year in Central and Eastern Europe in 2013 in which change will be the underlying theme.
