News

SPI’s FastNFunBox Now Distributed Across 160 Operators with M7 Germany

SPI/FilmBox and M7 Deutschland, Germany's leading provider of TV entertainment for cable and IP networks, announce that as of July 1st, SPI’s adrenaline sports channel Fast&FunBox is distributed to about 160 network operators, such as PŸUR and RFT kabel via cable and IPTV delivery. Fast&FunBox is part of M7’s PayTV bouquet ‘FamilyHD’.

“With the addition of our high energy, adrenaline sports channel Fast&FunBox to the M7 portfolio, we are able to make our thrilling content available to over one hundred operators that reach millions of households in Germany. We are excited to build on our great partnership with the M7 team, and looking forward to announcing further channel launches in the near future,” said Georgina Twiss, MD Western Europe & Africa at SPI International.

SPI and M7 distribution deal covers a total of nine channels - Dizi, FilmBox Arthouse, FightBox, FunBox UHD, FashionBox, 360 TuneBox, Gametoon and DocuBox – the rest will be added to the M7 line-up very soon.

"We are pleased to offer M7 partners many new, exclusive channels in partnership with SPI International, providing them with further added value that will empower them to compete," said Marco Hellberg, Managing Director of Eviso Germany GmbH, the M7 Business Partner in Germany. "With the attractive SPI programming content, we are also significantly expanding our video-on-demand offering."

 

About M7 Germany

M7® is a trademark of Canal+ Luxembourg S.à r.l. The Canal+ Group company is one of the largest platform operators for satellite and IP-based TV, serving more than three million end customers in Europe. In Germany and Austria, M7 is also the pioneering B2B provider of TV services. With over 120 high-quality broadcasting rights and licenses for German and international free and pay TV programs as well as VoD services, M7 is the market-leading content provider for all four distribution channels: satellite, cable, OTT and IPTV. Network and platform operators can assemble their own digital TV packages for all screens, including smartphones, very cost-effectively for their customers. In addition, with licenses for Replay, Restart and nPVR, M7 offers time-shifted TV for state-of-the-art TV entertainment.

M7's goal is to give its about 160 network partners a significant competitive edge with outstanding content and state-of-the-art platform services. The M7 platform offering for cable, IP and mobile networks ranges from the straightforward provision of broadcasting rights to turnkey all-in-one TV wholesale products, from technology to individual marketing support and state-of-the-art distribution and reception technologies. Detailed information at www.m7deutschland.de.

 

About SPI INTERNATIONAL

SPI INTERNATIONAL (a CANAL+ company) is a global media company operating 42+ TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide. SPI operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Adria regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia and the Netherlands. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services, including FilmBox+.  Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content. For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand. www.spiintl.com

For further information please contact: Melodi Menase - melodi.simson@spiintl.com 

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SPI/FilmBox Brings FilmBox Channels and Streaming Service FilmBox+ to DIGI Hungary

As of September 1st, DIGI subscribers can access FilmBox in their digital package; FilmBox Premium, FilmBox Extra HD, FilmBox Stars, FilmBox Family, and the OTT platform FilmBox+ with the premium FilmBox Pak

SPI/FilmBox and DIGI, one of Hungary’s largest Pay TV operators, have concluded a distribution deal with both linear and digital components. According to the deal, as of September 1st, SPI’s flagship movie channel FilmBox will be available for subscribers. Additionally, those who opt for the FilmBox Pak will have access to even more entertainment in the form of FilmBox Premium, FilmBox Stars, FilmBox Family, and FilmBox Extra HD, the latter of which will replace Film Now on DIGI’s EPG. The premium package also includes a FilmBox+ streaming service subscription with which viewers can watch 10+ channels and hundreds of hours of on-demand content at their leisure.

FilmBox channels broadcast compelling slates of Hollywood movies, world cinema classics, and popular series without any ad breaks during the programs so that the viewers can enjoy a stress-free, uninterrupted entertainment experience.

“We are pleased to offer multiple viewing options to DIGI subscribers who enjoy watching top-quality movies. We want to make the entertainment experience as relaxing as possible for our audiences. In line with this vision, we have made our streaming service FilmBox+ available with DIGI and created an additional window of curated content that is easily accessible on internet-connected devices,” commented Tamas Fulop, CEE Director of Operations at SPI International.

FilmBox+ combines the “lean-back” and on-demand viewing experiences by providing instant access to an extensive VOD catalog and live channels on any internet-connected device. The service has already integrated with multiple operators across Eastern Europe and will continue to integrate with other partner operators.    

"At DIGI, we have reached another milestone in the renewal of our programme offer, which is part of our ongoing strategic transformation. We are committed to bringing exciting, popular, and more entertaining content to our programming. Our customers will be able to view entertainment content either via the Internet or through our TV services. Thanks to the channel expansion, our subscribers will have additional opportunities to access our TV content via online platforms in addition to their TV sets," highlighted Tamás Tábori, CEO of DIGI Hungary.

 

About DIGI

DIGI is the dominant player in the Hungarian fixed voice, internet and television broadcasting market with a broad portfolio of services. The company is able to offer high quality services anywhere in the country thanks to its state-of-the-art fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, reinforced backbone and satellite infrastructure. DIGI launched its mobile telecommunications service in Hungary in May 2019. Thanks to continuous improvements, the company has 2,300 owned base stations and offers personalised service at 58 DIGI Points across the country, as well as telephone, web and mobile app services on 1272 numbers.

Further Information: DIGI Magyarország: Péter Pápai  

Tel: +36 30 162 71 53 - papai.peter@wisegroup.hu

 

About SPI INTERNATIONAL

SPI INTERNATIONAL (a CANAL+ company) is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple DIGItal products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide. SPI operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Adria regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia and the Netherlands. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services, including FilmBox+.  Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content. For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand. www.spiintl.com

Further information: SPI/FilmBox - Melodi Menase - melodi.simson@spiintl.com

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Slovak Telekom, DIGI Slovakia and T-Mobile Czech Republic to Broadcast English Premier League on CANAL+ Sport

Slovak Telekom, DIGI Slovakia, T-Mobile Czech Republic reached a new strategic agreement with CANAL+. The English Premier League will continue to be shown on the screens of Slovak Telekom, DIGI Slovakia and T-Mobile Czech Republic via CANAL+ Sport

The most prestigious football league in the world, the English Premier League, and the battles of its 20 participants will continue to be broadcast on the screens of Slovak Telekom, DIGI Slovakia and T-Mobile Czech Republic. Starting from August, fans of English football will be able to enjoy all 380 matches that will take place during this Premier League season on the new TV channel CANAL+ Sport.

Football experiences for up to three years

The participating parties agreed on the broadcast rights of the English Premier League for up to three years. This means that for viewers, a total of more than 1,000 exclusive football broadcasts are waiting for them, which will be broadcast on the CANAL+ Sport TV channel.

"Thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, we were able to successfully bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion. We are happy to announce that Slovakian and Czech spectators will have three years of attractive football from the Premier League. I will not lie when I say that every match of this competition makes for a real experience for football fans. And even if only from the comfort of home, it's certainly worth watching. Perhaps even more so this season, as the Premier League celebrates its 30th anniversary this year since its first game in the 1992/1993 season," said Marcel Šatanek, Senior Manager of the TV segment and Terminals of Slovak Telekom.

“The CANAL+ brand will debut in the Czech and Slovak market with great strength. Our partnership with Slovak Telekom, DIGI Slovakia and T-Mobile Czech Republic will allow more viewers to access great content from the English Premier League in addition to our existing viewers in Skylink and Freesat. CANAL+ will continue to strengthen its content offering, as we will further enhance it with the additional products bundled from SPI and its distribution by partnerships, allowing viewers to enjoy great products. Ladislav Řeháček and his team has done great work to create CANAL+ Sport which has top quality productions that will elevate the viewership experience of the English Premier League. We thank all of our partners with whom we’ve collaborated for this agreement,” adds Berk Uziyel, CEO of SPI International, which is now a part of CANAL+ Group, in charge of B2B distribution of CANAL+ products within the territory.

"By signing the broadcast rights agreement, we perceive this as a breakthrough success, thanks to which we can continue to bring premium content and a prestigious range of programs to our customers. Our sports channels are among the most popular and sought-after content on T-Mobile TV, and thanks to the concluded agreement, viewers can now fully enjoy a wide range of quality football, including the top Premier League," commented Zdeněk Spurný, Manager of T-Mobile's Television Services.

Premier League in HD quality and available on all technologies

Spectators can enjoy all football broadcasts in HD quality with Slovak and Czech commentary for free. Viewers will thus have the perfect experience of watching the Premier League on the CANAL+ Sport channel in their native language.

For more information please contact:
SPI/FilmBox
melodi.simson@spiintl.com 

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Film1 Unveils A New Streaming App and Integrates Into Top Operators

Film1 which combines the linear and on-demand viewing experiences with great content curation, switches its app to a new infrastructure that provides enhanced user experience, great content, easy operator integration and availability on additional connected devices.

SPI owned and operated Dutch premium movie services Film1 announces that they have revamped their streaming app which includes the switch to a new, dynamic OTT infrastructure that allows customization and updates.  Some of the other developments include user interface improvements for a well-rounded user experience on web, iOS, Android apps and single-sign-on capability that provides seamless operator integration. The Ziggo set-top-box app has also been updated to the latest Metrological Lightning technology and is available at channel 105 to the subscribers with the Film1 package. In addition, the Film1 app is now also available for Samsung and LG Smart TVs, and other connected devices such as Android TV and Apple TV.

“Film1 combines the linear and on-demand viewing experiences with its four linear channels and streaming services, making it a highly-sought after partner for operators to  enrich their content offerings. We have recently migrated our Film1 app platform from the legacy provider to the new TV2Z platform that also hosts FilmBox+ and Dizi apps. With this migration, we aim to provide both the end-user and our operator partners with an appealing curation of content that is easier to access with a clean design that is more comfortable to navigate,” said Haymi Behar, CMO & CDO at SPI International.

The revamped app has already integrated with a majority of the operators in the Netherlands, including Ziggo, Canal Digitaal, Online.nl, Delta, Fiber, Tele2, Caiway, Breedband Helmond, Solcon, CAI Harderwijk, Plinq, SKV, Kabelnoord, Kabeltex, SKP and Trined which allows subscribers to access the curated movies and linear channels of Film1 easily with the credentials provided by the operators through film1.nl. In addition, the updated Metrological Lightning app has also recently launched on the Ziggo Mediabox XL and Mediabox Next set-top-boxes, available to subscribers at channel 105.

“The Ziggo lightning app is integrated into the EPG at channel 105 and comes right after the four Film1 linear channels. The aggregation of quality content in one place makes finding a good movie to watch much more easier, eliminating choice stress for the audience. We will also be adding iDEAL as a payment method very soon which enables subscribers to pay for the service online through their own bank without having to provide any credit card information,” added Behar. 

Film1’s line-up of SVOD movies and four specialized linear movie channels – all available through the app – aim to minimize the time spent scrolling by providing a targeted, lean-back entertainment experience that many streaming platforms currently lack. SPI aims to integrate film1.nl with more operators and to launch the app on more operator set-top-boxes in the next year.

Consumers can access the service at film1.nl directly or through the Film1 app on connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and partner operators’ platforms.

About SPI INTERNATIONAL

SPI INTERNATIONAL (a CANAL+ company) is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide. SPI operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Adria regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia and the Netherlands. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services, including FilmBox+.  Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content. For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand. www.spiintl.com

For more information please contact: 

melodi.simson@spiintl.com

read more »