Canal+-owned M7 Group has signed a multi-year agreement with the Slovakia-based lifestyle channel TV Osem for FTA satellite distribution in HD via M7’s platform on Astra 23.5 East.
TV Osem has provided Slovak and Czech viewers with programming focused on health, lifestyle, music, folklore and esoteric topics since 2010. The majority of broadcasting is interactive – viewers can participate in the actual broadcast by calling in to the studio. In order to allow a smooth transfer from its current satellite provider, TV Osem will already start broadcasting via the M7 platform from December 1 onwards.
As part of the agreement with M7 Group, TV Osem will be listed in the EPG of Skylink, which serves 1.5 million TV homes in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. M7 Platform Services provides an end-to-end distribution solution, allowing TV Osem to also deliver the channel to third party operators in the two countries.
Commenting on the agreement, Jaromir Glisnik, member of the board at M7 Group, said: “We are very pleased to be selected by TV Osem for the continued satellite distribution of TV Osem via Astra 23.5 East and we look forward to a fruitful partnership. Moreover, we are very happy to offer our Skylink subscribers in Slovakia and Czech Republic the possibility to continue watching TV Osem in superb HD picture quality via a dedicated EPG position”.
Peter Borovicka, CEO at TV Osem, added: “The key reason for entering into a partnership with M7 is that it ensures us of the high quality satellite distribution of TV Osem to the widest possible audience in Slovakia and Czech Republic. Not only to Skylink TV satellite homes but also to third party operators in the region. For this purpose, M7 is a highly experienced and trusted partner and we look forward to our long-term cooperation”.
Broadband TV News notes that although TV Osem still broadcasts via Astra 23.5’s Towercom capacity, that will stop as of December 31, 2021. To facilitate the transition to M7’s 23.5 capacity, it will start broadcasting from it from the end of November.
