Thema is launching Le Bouquet Africain La Box TV in partnership with Alpha Networks.
Launched initially in 2008, the service rapidly grew to 20 channels and is presently entertaining 147,000 households via a number of French platforms. Le Bouquet Africain is now also being released to audiences across Europe by means of OTT technology from IP-Television specialist Alpha Networks SA.
Thema’s marketing research revealed that outside of France, significant groups of French-language Africain expatriates are also present in countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and elsewhere in Europe. Delivering Le Bouquet Africain by traditional means to operators in all these distributed markets turned out to be too complicated. The solution: OTT pay-Tv, managed by a professional back-office system and optimum video quality assured by means of Adaptive Bit Rate streaming.
Thema selected Alpha Networks, with its complete OSS/BSS Software suite ANS, its cloud-based television eco-system and telco-grade platform, as full service technology partner. The outsourcing agreement allowed Thema to launch the new service very rapidly; just four months went by between contract signing and launch, including the delivery of quantities of STBs, with customised firmware and branding on the STB casing as well as its packaging.
VOD, the associated CMS functionality, as well as Apps for various connected devices are available for expansions in subsequent project phases.
In order to receive the bouquet of African channels, viewers have to plug the boxto a TV, then connect it to the internet (by Wifi or cable).
Le Bouquet Africain La Box TV will offer 20 major African national public and private TV channels, coming from 11 French speaking African countries: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Mali, Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Benin.
The new OTT service will become available from October 28, 2013 within the European Union (except France).
Three packages will be offered: 1 month at EUR14.99 a month plus EUR75 for the box; a six months subscription for EUR79,99€ plus 75 euros for the box and EUR179.99€ for a one year subscription including the box for Free.
