SPI International unveils that a comprehensive revamp is underway for its flagship channel FilmBox, which includes content acquisitions from major studios and the launch of a new graphics package. The graphics package is expected to roll-out for FilmBox channels worldwide with an initial launch in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in April
Global media company SPI/FilmBox which operates 40 channels on six continents, continues to improve its products and services to provide a high-quality entertainment experience to millions of viewers worldwide. The new and improved FilmBox channels will feature hundreds of hours of new, highly-demanded hit movies and series from major studios and a revamped graphics package which aims to reflect the innovative yet familiar aspect of the channel. The new graphics package will be used across FilmBox channels in all territories with the Czech Republic and Slovakia leading the launch in April.
“We are proud to provide our viewers with innovative products that utilize state of the art technology while remaining practical and familiar. The revamped graphics will introduce some new key features that will render content promotion more informative,” said Haymi Behar, Chief Marketing Officer at SPI International. “For us, customer experience is key to all our designs and products. That’s why we have incorporated familiar patterns such as, the juxtaposition of our two brand colors – red and white – into the visual design while improving user experience through audio and video identity rebranding,” continued Behar.
FilmBox channels have also expanded their selection of titles through recent multi-territory deals with major studios and distributors to include a new batch of popular Hollywood blockbusters, world cinema gems and critically-acclaimed local productions.
“We will continue to deliver on our promise to constantly improve our products and services and we are delighted to be able to share these enhancements with our viewers all around the world starting with the Czech Republic, where FilmBox has proven to be the best performing pay-movie channel for the past five consecutive months,” added Behar.
FilmBox channels have over 30 million subscribers worldwide with the majority residing in the EMEA region. FilmBox channel reaches almost all pay TV users in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and it is the most watched pay-movie channel in the Czech Republic.
The new graphics package launches in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in April and will roll-out in other territories thereafter.
About SPI International
SPI International is a global media company operating 40 television channels on six continents. FilmBox being its flagship channel, SPI is one of the biggest aggregators of native Ultra HD content in the world. Working with over 1,400 operators worldwide, SPI uses state of the art technology providing its 65 million subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content including live streaming of UHD programming and FilmBox channels on any Internet-connected device via major global streaming media players as well as local OTT providers.
SPI recently added to its portfolio Film1 premium movie services in the Netherlands, including four movie channels and digital services. For over 25 years, SPI International has been a leading distributor of theatrical films and television programming in the international market. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
SPI/FilmBox and the Czech IPTV operator Nej.cz have inked a long-term distribution deal that allows the latter to carry a total of 13 diverse linear channels from the SPI/FilmBox portfolio. The deal will also render FilmBox On Demand content available to Nej.cz subscribers.
SPI/FilmBox and Czech television operator Nej.cz announced that they have expanded their long-term partnership. According to the newly minted agreement, Nej.cz subscribers will have access to a total of 13 channels from SPI/FilmBox’s versatile portfolio including a wide range of FilmBox channels and other channels that provide thematic entertainment. Nej.cz will also offer over a hundred specially-curated VOD movie titles through its online platform under the FilmBox On Demand branded corner.
Nej.cz took over the television operator Rio Media two years ago and purchased several smaller operators last year. Their parent company KAPRAIN holding also bought the internet service and television provider CentroNet. Currently, Nej.cz is the largest cable operation on the Czech market just after the big three operators. SPI/FilmBox has also been expanding its footprint across the globe. The linear channels and digital services of the media company reaches 65 million households worldwide.
“The popularity of FilmBox channels among the Czech audience is a proof of our continued commitment to providing our viewers with a well-blended mix of acclaimed movie titles and general entertainment content fit for every taste,” said Tamas Fülöp, Regional Director of Operations at SPI International. “We are delighted to be able to make our world of great entertainment accessible to a wider range of audience through our cooperation with Nej.cz,” added Fülöp.
Among the channels offered through Nej.cz is SPI’s flagship channel FilmBox HD, the most watched pay-movie channel in the Czech Republic, according to data from the Association of Television Organizations. FilmBox HD will bring viewers in the Czech Republic hundreds of hours of great movie titles in April, ranging from Hollywood hits like TheBeach Bum, starring Academy-Award winner Matthew McConaughey and rapper Snoop Dogg; to Czech classics such as the Světáci and The Secrets of the Carpathians.
“Cooperation with a high-quality partner like SPI/FilmBox is extremely good news for our customers. Thanks to this, we can significantly expand our offer not only of first-class film entertainment, but also of documentary production and nontraditional sports experiences,” says Jaroslav Hanyk, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Nej.cz. “For Nej.cz, this is another step towards growth. In this case, to increase the quality of service for our viewers,” concludes Hanyk.
Some of the other channels available to Nej.cz subscribers are: FilmBox Extra HD, FilmBox Plus, FilmBox Family, and SPI’s premium movie channel FilmBox Premium HD which broadcasts the most recent blockbusters, award-winning world cinema movies, and famous Hollywood features with the most popular stars; as well as, DocuBox HD, Fast&FunBoxHD and 360TuneBoxHD which provide entertaining content for a multitude of different tastes.
About SPI International
SPI International is a global media company operating 40 television channels on six continents. FilmBox being its flagship channel, SPI is one of the biggest aggregators of native Ultra HD content in the world. Working with over 1,400 operators worldwide, SPI uses state of the art technology providing its 65 million subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content including live streaming of UHD programming and FilmBox channels on any Internet-connected device via major global streaming media players as well as local OTT providers. SPI recently added to its portfolio Film1 premium movie services in the Netherlands, including four movie channels and digital services.
For over 25 years, SPI International has been a leading distributor of theatrical films and television programming in the international market. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
About Nej.cz
Nej.cz has a more than ten-year tradition in the Czech telecommunications market and has a significant position among providers of public electronic communications services in the providing of cable television services, Internet access and voice services in both fixed and mobile networks. It is part of the KAPRAIN investment group, where it represents the main telecommunications segment in the holding portfolio. In television services, the transition from conventional cable platforms (DVBC, DVBT) to the transmission of television programs via the Internet protocol and the associated advantages of non-linear broadcasting services for their users is strongly profiled.
By gradually acquiring smaller cable operators and consolidating their networks and transmission systems into one unit, Nej.cz acquired and partially built an access network in more than 100 locations across the Czech Republic, which are interconnected by a high-capacity backbone network with 10 and 100 Gbps links. It currently offers its services to more than 150,000 customers.
SPI/FilmBox announces a new channel distribution deal with the 10+ million userFrench OTT platform Molotov for the gaming and esports channel, Gametoon. The channel will be available to subscribers in Molotov’s “Gamer Zone” package.
Global media company SPI/FilmBox and French streaming service Molotov – which has just been named the Best App of the “App Annie Top French Publishers Awards 2020” – have inked their first ever channel distribution deal which will see SPI’s gaming and esports channel Gametoon added to the platform. The channel, created by gamers for gamers, features hundreds of hours of content dedicated to the gaming and esports phenomenon and will be offered to Molotov subscribers in the “Gamer Zone” package.
“We are excited to sign our first deal with the innovative streaming platform Molotov for one of our most unique channels, Gametoon, which has revolutionized the way audiences consume gaming & esports related content,” said Georgina Twiss,MD Western Europe & Africa at SPI International. “Molotov and SPI/FilmBox both acknowledge the importance of adapting traditional television to modern needs and we are confident that our shared vision will render this a long-lasting partnership,” continued Twiss.
Gametoon is created by true gaming and esports enthusiasts and features game reviews, esports tournaments, and exclusive game walkthroughs and sessions from popular streamers with a large fan-base, such as Dan Gheesling, Bifuteki, Lothar and many more.
“The gaming and esports perspectives are very promising on our platform and we are happy to bring content from an international gaming & esports specialist like Gametoon to our Gamer Zone offer,” said Grégory Samak, MD at Molotov.
Molotov’s “Gamer Zone” pack also aggregates ES1, Game One, Mangas, Gong Max and J-One and is available at 1.99€ /month on all screens and connected devices.
About SPI International
SPI International is a global media company operating 40 television channels on six continents. FilmBox being its flagship channel, SPI is one of the biggest aggregators of native Ultra HD content in the world. Working with over 1,400 operators worldwide, SPI uses state of the art technology providing its 65 million subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content including live streaming of UHD programming and FilmBox channels on any Internet-connected device via major global streaming media players as well as local OTT providers. SPI recently added to its portfolio Film1 premium movie services in the Netherlands, including four movie channels and digital services.
For over 25 years, SPI International has been a leading distributor of theatrical films and television programming in the international market. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
About Molotov
Created by JeanDavid Blanc (founder of AlloCiné) and Pierre Lescure (co-founder of Canal+), Molotov is an OTT distribution platform which revolutionizes the access to television, available on all screens and connected devices (TechCrunch). Molotov allows the seamless integration of linear and non-linear programs of over 170 content editors and channels within a revolutionary user experience. Member of the French Tech 120 government program and recognized “Best application of the year” by the App-Store (Apple) and Google Play (Android) users three times, and with over 10 million registered users after only 3 years of existence, Molotov has become the French leader in OTT video content distribution. Molotov has just been named the Best App of the “App Annie - Top French Publishers Awards 2020” (media & entertainment)
SPI affiliate Kino Polska TV S.A recently inked a new content license agreement with the Walt Disney Company to deliver a wide array of new movies and hit TV series to Stopklatka, Zoom TV, and Kino TV viewers in Poland
SPI International affiliate Kino Polska TV S.A continues to add to its impressive selection of movies and TV series through new content license agreements with key players in the industry. The latest agreement is with the leading international family entertainment and media enterprise, The Walt Disney Company, and aims to bring a diversified portfolio of new movies including Hollywood-blockbusters, critically-acclaimed movies and hit television series to Poland. The vast majority of the new titles will air on Polish linear movie channel Stopklatka, with some slotted to broadcast on ZoomTV and Kino TV.
“Our partnership with The Walt Disney Company reflects our commitment to delivering highly-demanded, top quality content in all genres to our audiences in Poland. The new titles that we acquired through this deal, will enhance the TV viewing experience of Stopklatka, Zoom TV and Kino TV audiences,” said Magdalena Blasiak, Acquisitions Director at SPI International.
Some of the highlights from the deal include: The first three seasons of Golden Globe-winning sci-fi mystery series, The X Files; a critically-acclaimed slate of Academy Award-winners such as; Speed, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves; Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis; and Moulin Rouge, directed by Baz Luhrmann, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
The agreement also features Hollywood-blockbusters like Planet of the Apes (2001), Predator, and Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Kino Polska. The Walt Disney Company is committed to providing regional audiences with the most compelling content available, and to entertain audiences around the world with unparalleled storytelling,” said Anna Walczak, Sales Director, CEE & Africa at The Walt Disney Company.
Kino Polska TV S.A. owns and operates – among others– the three aforementioned channels in Poland: Stopklatka, Poland’s first terrestrial movie channel; Zoom TV, female-skewed terrestrial entertainment channel; and Kino TV, which features well-known movies that are worth multiple viewings for all audiences. The SPI affiliate had also revealed the launch of its production arm last year in October, which aims to focus primarily on big-budget Polish movies and international co-productions.
About SPI International
SPI International is a global media company operating 40 television channels on six continents. FilmBox being its flagship channel, SPI is one of the biggest aggregators of native Ultra HD content in the world. Working with over 1,400 operators worldwide, SPI uses state of the art technology providing its 65 million subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content including live streaming of UHD programming and FilmBox channels on any Internet-connected device via major global streaming media players as well as local OTT providers. SPI recently added to its portfolio Film1 premium movie services in the Netherlands, including four movie channels and digital services.
For over 25 years, SPI International has been a leading distributor of theatrical films and television programming in the international market. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $69.6 billion in its last fiscal year (FY19).
Seeking to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, The Walt Disney Company has been in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for over 80 years, employing thousands of people across the region and reaching consumers in more than 130 countries. The Walt Disney Company’s iconic brands - including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, FOX, FOX Sports and ESPN - are experienced diversely across the region in cinemas, on TV screens, online, at retail, in Disney Stores and at Disneyland Paris.
