Virgin Media is to launch what it is describing as a TV channel with a difference. In reality Virgin Central is a free video on demand service that will be available to subscribers of the rebranded cable operator. Included on Virgin Central will be episodes from The OC, Nip/Tuck, West Wing, Little Britain; Grey’s Anatomy, […]
Ofcom lets Nat Geo go Wild
Nat Geo Wild has been issued with a licence from Ofcom for its new Nat Geo Wild channel. The new channel will launch on March 1 and will be available in around 12 million households in Europe, Israel and South Africa, replacing Adventure 1. Nat Geo Wild is perceived as Nat Geo’s answer to Discovery […]
TiVo brings Amazon to the box
A new agreement will soon enable TiVo subscribers to watch downloads from Amazon.com’s sercvice on their televisions. The companies announced “Amazon Unbox on TiVo”, a service that will provide TiVo subscribers with the ability to rent and purchase movies and television shows through their TiVo boxes. Amazon’s Unbox services offers content from CBS, Fox, Lionsgate, […]
Studio 1+1 secures Internet deal
The CME-owned Ukrainian national commercial station Studio 1+1 has signed an agreement with Jump TV securing its delivery over the Internet. As of later this year it will be made available, most probably in a package with Russian and other Ukrainian channels, for a monthly fee of $9.95 (Euro7.69). Studio 1+1 competes in its home […]
New betting channel challenges SiS
A new betting channel targeting the UK’s bookmakers is looking to take advantage of disaffection with Sky’s commercial rates. The new channel owned by Racecourse Media Services, a joint venture between Alphameric plc and the 30 racecourses behind Racing UK, will be approaching bookmakers under the Amalgamated Racing brand. The launch of a service spells […]
Sky Sports tackles HD Rugby League
Sky Sports has signed an agreement for exclusive live coverage of the National League for the next two seasons. The rugby league season in England now runs between February and October and Sky Sports will cover the sport through the summer up to and including the National League Final on October 7. The Super League […]
NTV-Plus to launch three HD channels in March
“At the moment we are broadcasting test versions of three HD channels and we are going to make them available to subscribers in late March”, says Dmitry Samokhin CEO of NTV-Plus. NTV-Plus is the leading direct-to-home (DTH) satellite service provider in Russia and the Ukraine with more than 550,000 subscribers. NTV-Plus airs a mixture of […]
History Channel returns to Scandinavia
The History Channel launches today (February 1) on the Canal Digital DTH satellite package for viewers in Norway, Sweden, Denmark & Finland. The channel is being launched by The History Channel UK, A&E’s joint venture with BSkyB. Although it will broadcast in English, the channel will be scheduled separately from the UK version. There are […]
Going legal in Russia
The Russian Lawyers’ Association has announced plans to launch a thematic channel dedicated to legal matters. The first such service in the country, Law TV is likely to be initially distributed by the Gazprom-backed DTH platform NTV-Plus. TNS has meanwhile released the initial results of a study into viewing patterns of cable and satellite-delivered services […]
HBO Comedy goes East
HBO Comedy will make its debut in Central and Eastern Europe on February 1 when it launches on the Cyfra+ DTH platform in Poland. The service, which will be broadcast in Polish, will be on air for 16 hours daily between 10.00 and 02.00 and join four other HBO channels – HBO, HBO 2, Cinemax […]