Viacom to launch on DTT in Spain

By
Maria Rua Aguete
Maria Aguete

April 14, 2010

Viacom is expected be the third international programmer to launch a channel on digital terrestrial TV in Spain, using capacity freed up by the nationwide switch-off of analogue TV on 2 April.

Sony has operated its free-to-air channel Sony Entertainment TV (SET) since 2008, while the Disney Channel also launched as an ad-supported service on DTT in the same year.

Six commercial broadcasters have each been allocated a full DTT multiplex: Antena 3 TV, Telecinco, Sogecable, La Sexta, Net TV and Veo TV. Each multiplex will have capacity for up to four channels. Public service broadcaster RTVE will be allocated two DTT multiplexes (for 8 channels). Net TV owner Grupo Vocento already offers two channels, Intereconomia and the Disney Channel, and plans to use the extra capacity to add a third channel dedicated to a youth audience with content from Viacom's MTV channel as well as its own content. It is not known whether the new channel will use the MTV brand name.

Using one of Veo TV's slots. Sony will launch entertainment channel AXN as a pay service on 1 May. AXN will be marketed as part of a package with Mediapro's Gol TV costing 16.95 euros a month (2 euros more than Gol TV on its own).

In June 2009 Vocento signed an agreement with Viacom giving access to a potential audience of 24.7 million terrestrial viewers. After the analogue switch-off in Spain last month DTT is available to 98.24 per cent of the Spanish population. There are several Viacom channels already available in Spain via pay TV operator Digital Plus - including MTV, MTV2, and MTVNHD - but Digital Plus has 1.8m subscribers compared to more than 14m homes in DTT.

In February 2008 Disney paid 27m euros to Vocento for a 20 per cent stake in Net TV and launched its channel free-to-air, while Sony made an agreement with Unidad Editorial shareholders of Veo TV. After the new agreement signed by SET Channel Iberia, Mediapro and Veo TV, AXN will replace SET on DTT. SET will still be available via satellite, cable and IPTV.

The other Spanish brodcasters will also launch new channels in the following months. Antena 3 TV, already offering Antena Neox and Antena Nova, will add a new channel targeting the male audience. Sogecable will launch two pay TV channels: Canal Plus and a sports channel. No details on prices or packages have been revealed yet. Mediaset, which has three channels - Telecinco, Factoría de Ficción and La Siete - has not decided what they will do with the spare channel they own. HD DTT trials of Canal Plus HD, Telecinco HD, Gol TV and public broadcaster TVE are also taking place now in Madrid and Barcelona.

Tags:

Countries: Spain
Companies: MTV Networks Sogecable Antena 3 Telecinco Viacom Inc Sony Pictures Television Intl. RTVE