Hungary’s TV market is undoubtedly one of the most interesting in Central and Eastern Europe.
Historically, it developed at a different pace to others in the region in the years immediately following the end of communist rule. On the content side, it was very much in the vanguard, with HBO choosing it as the base for its first operation outside the US in the early 1990s, while in broadcasting it lagged behind others in the region, only launching national commercial TV services a few years after such countries as Poland and the Czech Republic.
However, in due course the differences between Hungary and other CEE markets became less apparent and today they are minimal.
Even so, there are still certain areas in which the country stands out. Take terrestrial TV, for instance, where it now boasts one of the most successful pay platforms, operated by the national transmission company Antenna Hungária, in the region.
Then there is content, where the capital, Budapest, has long been the regional headquarters of several leading international companies.
In terms of competition, UPC (Liberty Global), Digi (RCS&RDS) and Magyar Telekom (Deutsche Telekom) are the undisputed leading providers of electronic communications services. However, there are also numerous smaller players, headed by the alternative telco Invitel, and interesting newcomers such as the Luxembourg-based M7 Group, which recently acquired the long-established MMDS operation Hello HD and launched a new DTH platform.
Although pay-TV services are now firmly established in Hungary and received in the vast majority of homes, the market remains fluid and is likely to change considerably over the course of the next few years.
It is with this in mind that Broadband TV News has decided to return to Budapest later this month to hold a special business briefing with our partners Telenor Satellite Broadcasting. Taking as its theme Prospects for Pay-TV in Hungary, it will look at all aspects of the industry from the perspective of leading stakeholders.
Entrance to the briefing, which will take place at the Intercontinental Hotel on May 27, is free. To register and for more information, simply go to:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/prospects-for-pay-tv-in-hungary-tickets-11476431315
