The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority has given its approval to the purchase of PlusTV by DNA from the Teracom Group.
In the next seven days the DTT pay platform will become a wholly-owned subsiduary of the Finnish telco and cable operator.
DNA, which already runs its own terrestrial network, now plans to extend its offer using its newly acquired capacity.
DNA is the only pay-TV operator that offers HDTV, or high-definition channels over the terrestrial network in Finland. After the acquisition, the popular HD channels delivered through DNA’s own VHF antenna network will become available to existing PlusTV customers as well. These channels include Yle HD, MTV3 HD, Nelonen Pro 1 HD and Nelonen Pro 2 HD.
The existing subscriptions and services of PlusTV customers will continue unchanged, in accordance with their agreements, and no action will be required on their part to keep using the services. PlusTV’s customer service will continue service as usual.
“We wish to create the best entertainment service in Finland, with the most satisfied customers and the data to prove it*. The sales, marketing and development of entertainment services has now become possible at the national level, and we intend to build better and better entertainment services for the Finnish people”, says Pekka Väisänen, Vice President for DNA’s Consumer Business.
Plus TV was launched in November 2006 and was acquired by Teracom two years later, its subscribers boosting the state-owned operator’s total base, though Teracom found it tough to fend off subscriber erosion amid heavy competition. It has some 220,000 households as customers.
In 2012, the turnover of PlusTV was approximately €65 million. DNA Welho offers a wide range of channels for cable and antenna TV customers. DNA has approximately 600,000 cable network customers and more than 155,000 pay TV subscriptions in cable and antenna households.
