German commercial TV channels Sat.1 and ProSieben have commenced offering free live-streams of their programmes through their own TV apps for smartphones and tablets.
“This resembles a small revolution and will encourage the mobile media usage of our viewers,” Daniel Rosemann, head of ProSieben, said in Munich.
Sat.1’s managing director Kaspar Pflüger added: “Through our new Sat.1 app, our strong programme brands will become accessibly even more easily.”
The further free-to-air channels of parent group ProSiebenSat.1 – kabel eins, sixx, Sat.1 Gold, ProSieben Maxx and from September 22, 2016 kabel eins Doku – will also provide individual TV apps.
The central app 7TV on which ProSiebenSat.1 offers the live-streams of its free-to-air channels for a monthly fee of €2.99 will remain available, according to the company – which leads to ProSiebenSat.1 competing with itself. The question is how many viewers will continue to pay for 7TV when they find out that the live-streams are available at no charge on the channels’ individual TV apps.
