Telekom Austria has entered into a three-year partnership with Payner Media for distribution of the latter’s Bulgarian channels Planeta HD and Planeta Folk.
The deal includes the availability of the channels for households and pay-TV operators in CEE, via Telekom Austria’s cable, IPTV and DTH platforms, as well as third party pay-TV operators using Eutelsat 16.
As part of the agreement, Telekom Austria will offer open simulycrypt to other DTH operators on Eutelsat 16, or neighbouring satellite positions, with its own earth station in Aflenz.
Planeta is another partnership in a series of new announcements, covering deals with 11 media companies and 27 thematic channels targeting the whole CEE region.
Commenting on the partnership, Stefan Amon, director wholesale A1 Telekom Austria, said: “I am proud to announce an agreement with Payner Media and the popular Bulgarian music channels Planeta HD and Planeta Folk, enabling us to break through Bulgarian boundaries and deliver new and high quality thematic content to a wider CEE region. The channels are covered by Bulgaria´s Mobiltel and A1´s IPTV in Austria and are specifically designed to target the Balkan diaspora across Europe.”
Mitko Dimitrov, manager of Payner Media, added: “I am very happy that our partnership with Telekom Austria Group deepens and extends beyond Bulgarian borders. Since 2004, we have successfully been cooperating with Bulgarian Mobiltel but after signing the agreement with Telekom Austria Group our most successful Bulgarian music television channels will reach most of European audience via the DTH satellite service, as well as through IPTV. This opens new possibilities for the development of our television business”.
