Internet TV platform Magine TV will follow the example of its competitor Zattoo in Germany and no longer offer the commercial free-to-air TV channels free of charge, but as part of a fee-based subscription package.
The Master package will cost €6.99 per month and contain the live-streams of the following channels: RTL, Sat.1, ProSieben, VOX, RTL II, kabel eins, Super RTL, sixx, ProSieben Maxx, RTL Nitro, Sat.1 Gold, Sport1, DMAX, N24, n-tv, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VIVA, joiz, RiC, TLC, DAF, Eurosport, Das Neue, Family TV, BBC World, Bloomberg, Russia Today and Al Jazeera. With its price tag, Magine TV remains below the monthly subscription fee of Zattoo’s commercial TV package which costs €9.99 per month.
The only channels remaining free of charge will be the live-streams of Germany’s public TV channels bundled in the Free package. Magine TV’s free package thereby remains much smaller than Zattoo’s counterpart which also contains commercial TV channels. Zattoo offers, for example, Sport1, DMAX, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VIVA, TLC, joiz, RiC and DAF as part of its free package while at Magine TV the channels are part of subscription package Master.
Further new offerings by Magine TV are two pay-TV packages: The subscribers of Magic (€16.99/month) gain access to TNT Film, Boomerang, Sony Entertainment TV, Cartoon Network, Universal Channel, E! Entertainment Network, Nick Jr., Animal Planet, MTV Live, Animax, AXN, CNN International, Ginx TV and Fuel TV.
Customers signing up for full package Max for €23.99 per month additionally receive yourfamily, Docubox, Nautical Channel, Fast & Funbox, C Music, Duck TV, Body in Balance, Filmbox Arthouse, Fightbox and Fashionbox. The Magic and Max packages also include access to the Master package. The Kids package – previously Magine TV’s sole pay-TV offering – will be discontinued with the channels being integrated into the Magic and Max packages.
Max is free of charge for all Magine TV users in the first month. If they don’t opt for a subscription package afterwards, they will be downgraded to the Free package. All subscription packages can be cancelled monthly.
In contrast to the Free package, the subscription bouquets offer some channels in HD quality as well as the start-over and catch-up features. With start-over, the currently running TV programme can be paused and continued watching in time-shifted mode at a later stage. Catch-up enables viewers to watch programmes they missed up to seven days after their TV broadcast in full length. Both features are, however, only available on selected channels.
Magine TV’s pay-TV packages mark two significant developments: US studios Universal, Sony, Viacom und Turner will make their pay-TV channels available as over-the-top-TV (OTT) services in Germany for the first time in addition to their current conventional distribution via cable, satellite and IPTV. Global media company SPI International uses Magine TV as a stepping stone to enter the German TV market with its channels Docubox, Fast & Funbox, Filmbox Arthouse, Fightbox and Fashionbox.
Magine TV launched in Germany in April 2014. The OTT service can be accessed via internet, Wi-Fi and mobile networks (3G/LTE) through the PC, smartphone and tablet (iOS/Android) and on connected TV sets from Samsung and LG. Further platforms will follow in the next weeks, for example Windows 8.
