Discovery Communications has completed a number of deals including an expanded partnership with Vodafone in Italy, Spain and Portugal.
The deal with Vodafone TV in Italy brings all Discovery free-to-air channels (Nove, Real Time, DMax, Giallo, Focus, K2 and Frisbee) will be available when the service launches later in the summer, across both Vodafone customers’ home TV screen and on their mobile devices.
This news is on the back of deals previously announced with Vodafone TV to make Discovery’s content available to tens of millions of pay-TV viewers through Vodafone’s authenticated TV Everywhere service.
In Spain, Discovery signed a content agreement with Spanish media group Kiss TV in March creating a new free-to-air DTT channel called Dkiss, which went on air on May 19.
In a related development, Discovery is entering the DTT market in Chile with the acquisition of a 27.5% stake in Bethia Communications,parent company of Mega, the leading broadcast channel in Chile.
“Discovery fuels the passion of our audiences across multiple genres, from factual, lifestyle and kids, to general entertainment and sport,” said JB Perrette, president of Discovery Networks International.
“Partnering with other innovative companies, our goal is to find new ways to extend the reach and relevance of our programs across all platforms, making it easier for people to enjoy our shows whenever, and wherever, they want to consume great video content. In making our programs more accessible in key growth markets, we are both expanding our audience base and engaging with a whole new generation of viewers through digital platforms.”
