The Russian DTH platform NTV-Plus has made its first foray into the international market by officially launching in Georgia.
Kommersant reports that it has teamed up with the local company Media Group, which is already the exclusive distributor of over 20 TV channels operated by Gazprom Media, NTV-Plus’s owner.
Besides selling equipment, providing technical support and promoting NTV-Plus in Georgia, Media Group will engage in anti-piracy activities. At present, it is estimated that over 200,000 homes in the country receive NTV-Plus illegally.
NTV-Plus subscribers will be offered a choice of two packages, containing 50 and 90 Russian, foreign and FTA Georgian channels.
NTV-Plus has already received a broadcasting licence for Georgia and aims to have at least 30,000 subscribers in the country by the middle of this year. It also does not rule out expanding to other CIS countries at some stage in the future.
Separately, NTV-Plus has reported that the total number of paying subscribers to its OTT platform grew by 3.5 times in the first quarter to a total of over 41,000. As a result, OTT became the fastest growing segment in its business.
NTV-Plus notes that the total number of subscribers to the OTT platform that do not receive satellite services grew by 47% in Q1, while OTT ARPU was over R420 (€5.74), or almost R50 more than for its satellite offer.
It also says that tax-up of OTT was boosted by the launch of an update Online TV (multiscreen) service on February 1.
