MIPTV 2015, CANNES – SPI International closed a major acquisition deal with NBCUniversal for the FilmBox Premium movie channel in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The company is also announcing that they are preparing to launch SPI’s first linear Ultra HD TV channel called 4K FunBox UHD while producing own 4K content and expanding the current Ultra HD catalogue with new acquisitions to be finalized during MIPTV in Cannes.
Close to one hundred titles including hot first run features will boost programming on the FilmBox Premium channel in the Czech Republic and Slovakia thanks to a new acquisition deal signed by SPI International with NBCUniversal.
SPI International amassed more than 200 hours of 4K content in the first quarter of 2015. “4K content is one of our highest priorities for future development,” says Berk Uziyel, the Executive Director of Filmbox International Ltd.
“Our new Ultra HD library will initially offer very diverse content such as visually stunning nature documentaries, breathtaking videos of San Francisco skyline and eye-popping CG animations,” Berk Uziyel adds. SPI is making the newly acquired content available through its VOD platform FilmBox Live and also on 4K FunBox UHD, a linear TV channel which is currently under development.
Delivering content in Ultra HD quality to end-users is another major undertaking on the part of SPI. The company launched “Kino LG 4K” in Poland, a pilot project that allowed SPI to implement a super-efficient compression technology making Ultra HD quality streaming available to Internet users with regular residential Internet connection.
SPI has also engaged in the production of native 4K content, starting with the live recordings of MMA events. The company is exploring other types of entertainment and plans to produce native Ultra HD programming featuring music as well as other entertainment shows.
