(Dec 9, 2013) The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia (TWDC SEA) and Singaporean pay-TV operator StarHub have launched a new mobile video streaming service via three new entertainment apps – WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney XD and WATCH Disney Junior.
The WATCH Disney apps will provide StarHub TV customers with access to Disney Channel’s existing live, television network streams, exclusive and first-hand content, as well as premiere on-demand episodes.
Read more at Rapid TV News
Global Xpress set to create world’s first globally available high-speed mobile broadband service
9 December 2013 – Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, announces the successful launch of its first Global Xpress® (GX) satellite (Inmarsat-5 F1) on board a Proton Breeze M rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan yesterday (Sunday 8 December) at 12:12 GMT.
The satellite was correctly acquired by the Inmarsat Paumalu station at 17:48 GMT (December 8th) and the Inmarsat-5 launch provider, ILS, confirmed a successful spacecraft separation at 03:43hrs GMT (December 9th).
Over the coming two weeks, the Inmarsat controllers will command the satellite to perform seven chemical burns to raise Inmarsat-5 F1 to a geo-synchronous elliptical orbit, while just after Christmas, the satellite will have completed deployment of its solar arrays and reflectors. This will be followed by the electrical orbit-raising phase, taking the spacecraft to its final geostationary orbit. This is scheduled to be completed by the end of January, ready for the start of payload testing at the beginning of February.
Built by Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc. (“Boeing”) to a proven design (702HP), Inmarsat-5 F1 is part of a US$1.6 billion investment by Inmarsat into the next generation of global mobile broadband communications. This investment includes a fourth Inmarsat-5 satellite ordered from Boeing in October 2013.
Inmarsat is the owner and commercial operator of the Global Xpress constellation. By the close of 2014 the fleet will comprise three high throughput satellites offering a unique combination of seamless global Ka-band coverage from a single operator, consistent higher performance of up to 50Mbps to mobile or fixed terminals, and the network reliability for which Inmarsat is renowned.
Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat, said: “The successful launch of this first Inmarsat-5 satellite is a major landmark on our journey to deliver the world’s first globally available, high speed mobile broadband service. We are on schedule to achieve full global coverage by the end of 2014.
“The Inmarsat-5 generation is, by some distance, the fastest satellite development programme in our history. This is an extraordinary achievement and I would like to pay tribute to the skill and expertise of Inmarsat’s engineering teams and all our employees involved in the design, development, manufacturing, testing and launch. It is their dedication, alongside the outstanding support we have received from our manufacturing and launch partners – Boeing and ILS – which has helped deliver such a successful outcome.”
Inmarsat-5 F1 is built to Boeing’s flight-proven 702HP platform. Weighing over 6 metric tons at lift-off, the satellite has 89 Ka-band beams that will operate in geosynchronous orbit. It is designed to generate approximately 15 kilowatts of power at the start of service and, to generate such high power, the spacecraft’s two solar wings employ five panels of ultra-triple-junction solar cells.
For Further Information
Jonathan Sinnatt
Head of Corporate Communications
+44 (0)20 7728 1935
jonathan.sinnatt@inmarsat.com
About Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air. Inmarsat employs around 1,600 staff in more than 60 locations around the world, with a presence in the major ports and centres of commerce on every continent. Inmarsat is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:ISAT.L). For more information, please visit www.inmarsat.com.
The Inmarsat press release newsfeed is on Twitter @Inmarsatnews and corporate updates are on @Inmarsat_plc
Punjab-based MSO strengthens commitment to security partner Conax to further capitalize on DTH digitization and position for expanding pay-TV universe
Mumbai, December 9th, 2013: Conax, a leading global provider of solutions for securing digital video content distribution on all networks and devices, today announced that Fastway Transmissions PvL is upgrading to a flagship Conax Contego™ platform, furthering its commitment to content security partner, Conax. Additionally, the Indian MSO has also recently signed a contract for 1 million additional clients from Conax to position for capitalizing on the next phase of digitization in Northern India. Fastway Digital TV Services provides digital and analogue cable TV services in North India, including a colorful bouquet of 353 digital and 30 radio channels. The flexible, robust solution from Conax will guide Fastway Digital Services in smooth digital migration and creation of secure, future-oriented business models for growing its content revenues.
The Conax Contego™ Broadcast platform solution will enable Fastway to navigate the challenges of digitization, while harnessing the opportunities provided by the digital roll-out, such as new pay-TV content packages and easy upgrade to multiscreen and over-the-top business models in the future. Fastway provides services to end consumer in Punjab, Himachal, Pradesh, Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Set-top-box partner, Digital Telemedia, one of largest STB vendors and CATV solution providers, is providing the Fastway with best quality STBs to enable mass roll-out of new boxes and secure clients for capturing the next wave of Indian digitization.
-Mr. Gurdeep Singh, Managing Director, Fastway Transmissions, “Through our partnership with Conax we aim to provide enhanced, flexible services to our customers and secure another 1 million subscribers in the next phase of Punjab digitalisation. Key factors for our strong relationship with security partner Conax include expert guidance, flexible, future-oriented solutions, India based 24/7 support service, long experience in digitization and strong proven security track record in both India and around the globe. Additionally, Conax offers us short-time-to-market, a range of security-certified client devices and easy migration to advanced consumer offerings in the future.
-Are Mathisen, VP Asia Sales, Conax, “Conax is delighted Fastway has chosen to further strengthen our strong relationship with the upgrade to Conax Contego™ Broadcast. Fastway’s vision and highly skilled team has been key role in developing a roadmap for capturing new market share and harnessing the potential offered by the digital landscape. The benchmark Conax Contego security platform provides Fastway operations with access to a broad portfolio of sophisticated, yet easy to deploy, scalable solutions for building a strong foundation for subscriber and revenue growth during this exciting digitization phase and into the future.”
-Mr. Huang Wei, Global Marketing and Sales Director, Digital Telemedia, “DTM is delighted to further strengthen its partnership with Conax together with Indian customer, Fastway. We are glad to see this business model can create great success in bringing the ongoing digitalization process in North India to a new era.”
Flexible media consumption in a secure, future-proof world
Conax Contego Broadcast™ is a world-class security solution for protecting one-way broadcast operations. Featuring an easy to use and highly intuitive management system, Conax Contego Broadcast™ includes comprehensive support for Subscription, Pairing, Fingerprinting and Messaging, with optional DRM control and Pay-per-View. Operators can easily upgrade to the advanced Conax Contego™ Unite of Xtend editions to introduce an array of advanced consumer offerings for flexible multiscreen and Over-the-Top content distribution.
***
About Fastway PVL (www.fastway.in)
Fastway Transmissions Private Limited is fastest growing Master Satellite Operators (MSO) in North India. Fastway services are available in majority of areas in Punjab, Himachal, Pradesh, Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Fastway provides both Digital and Analogue Cable TV services in North India. Fastway Digital TV Services currently offer 353 Digital Channels and 30 Radio Channels, as well as 29 high definition (HD) channels. A joint venture between Mr. Gurdeep Singh and Digicable Network India, PVT, Fastway Transmissions has a team of professionals lead by CEO Mr. Peeush Mahajan for running day to day operations. Fastway is providing employment to more than 5000 employees, including both Fastway and LCO employees.
About Conax (www.conax.com)
Conax provides the expertise and future-oriented solutions that empower digital TV content providers around the globe to deliver premium content securely over all networks and devices for the combined Over-The-Top scenario of broadcast, broadband and connected devices. Bundling 25 years of pioneering experience, the benchmark Conax Contego™ portfolio of solutions furnish content providers, cable, satellite, IP, mobile and terrestrial operators with solutions that offer a competitive advantage – reduced hardware costs, easy deployment and easy upgrade to add additional services and business models. Through its benchmark policy for security-evaluated client devices and strategic partner network, Conax technology secures content for operators representing 140 million pay TV consumers in 85 countries globally.
ISO 9001 & 27001 certified, Conax is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and represented in Russia, Germany, Brazil, USA, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, China, Singapore, with 24/7 Global Support operations in India. Conax is part of Telenor Group. www.twitter.com/ConaxAS
About Digital Telemedia Co., Ltd (www.d-telemedia.com/en/)
Digital Telemedia Co., Ltd is a hi-tech joint venture company specialized in the research & development, manufacturing and marketing of DVB products (DVB-S/C/T), Cable TV Equipment, Multi-media Products, satellite accessories, digital mobile phone and other digital equipment. A leading supplier with manufacturing capability of 2 million units per month, the company provides products to Europe, Americas, Middle East, Asia and Africa. Digital Telemedia’s research and development center in China has over 350 professional engineers and broad technological cooperation with European
and Korean R&D centers.
Conax media contact
Leslie Johnsen
Head of Public Relations & Communications
Mob: +47 41 45 80 43
Email: leslie.johnsen@conax.com
E!’s flagship mobile product gets a major makeover
9 December 2013, Singapore – Universal Networks International (UNI) today announced that E! Entertainment Television, the Hollywood entertainment and celebrity lifestyle channel, will launch its new-look E! mobile app in Asia this December.
“E!’s new mobile app allows pop culture fans to easily access the latest entertainment and celebrity news stories – as well as swipe through hundreds of high-resolution celebrity photos from our top galleries, such as The Big Picture and Fashion Police. Plus, consumers can watch the E! News Now videos, and segments from their favourite E! shows such as Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” said Christine Fellowes, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Universal Networks International.
The new mobile app features include: a dramatically improved User Interface; iOS7 and Android operating system, KitKat, compatibility; access to ten times as many photo galleries as before; content hubs for hot topics; and, brand new functionality including push notifications and video and article sharing.
E!’s mobile app also features improvements for advertisers including 100% share of voice (SOV) banner units; static full page ads; video pre-roll, expandable banners; full page interstitials in the photo gallery stream; and, both pre-stitials and interstitials featuring animation.
The new mobile app increases E!’s digital presence in Asia. Singapore based social network Clozette was recently appointed the advertising sales representative for E! Online in Asia, covering South East Asia territories Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.
E! online currently has ten million monthly unique users across web and mobile worldwide, with eleven million media followers and likes. The distribution of the E! online mobile app will expand to iOS and Android users in Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific and Africa; and is available in four languages – English, French, German and Italian. The current E! online app is available in Europe, including the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Austria.
– ENDS –
About Universal Networks International
Universal Networks International, the international channels division of NBCUniversal, is one of the world’s premier entertainment portfolios, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 176 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The brands in the portfolio include Universal Channel, Syfy, 13th Street, Studio Universal, E! Entertainment Television, The Style Network, DIVA Universal, Telemundo and Golf Channel. These unique brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe.
Universal Networks International also operates Movies 24. Further, NBCUniversal News Group, one of the most influential and respected portfolios of on-air and digital news properties in the world, operate CNBC and NBC News internationally.
Universal Networks International is a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.
For press enquiries, please contact:
Universal Networks International
Marlene Ee
T: (+65) 6326 1872
E: marlene.ee@nbcuni.com
Strategic Public Relations Group on behalf of UNI
Regina Yeo, Consultant, Singapore
+65 6325 8232/+65 9661 9486
regina.yeo@sprg.com.sg
Strategic Public Relations Group on behalf of UNI
Sarah Sanusi, Associate, Singapore
+65 6325 8185/ +65 9627 2888
sarah.sanusi@sprg.com.sg
7 GOLDS, 5 SILVERS ACROSS COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV, NICKELODEON
ADDITIONAL 7 AWARDS BROUGHT HOME BY VIACOM 18 IN INDIA
SINGAPORE/ INDIA, 9 December 2013 – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Asia, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) today announced it swept the recently concluded 2013 PromaxBDA Asia Awards, held on 5 December 2013 in Singapore, taking home 12 awards for Asia and another 7 awards for India, through Viacom 18, Viacom’s joint venture with the Network18 Group.
The PromaxBDA Awards recognize excellence in on-air promotion, branding and advertising on programming, channel or brand. Awards were open to Satellite, Cable, Broadcast, Television, Radio Station and associated new media, their agencies and production houses.
2013 PromaxBDA Asia Award Categories Won
GOLD
SILVER
Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd, a 50/50 joint venture operation in India between Viacom Inc. and the Network18 Group also took home the following seven awards:
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About Viacom International Media Networks
Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is comprised of many of the world’s most popular multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Channel, VH1, VIVA, COLORS, Game One and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más. Viacom brands are seen globally in more than 600 million households in 170 territories and 37 languages via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom’s blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.
Media Contacts:
Viacom International Media Networks
Adeline Ong, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Asia
t: (65) 6420 7240 m: (65) 9366 7323
e: adeline.ong@vimn.com
Twitter: @VIMNAsia_PR
Loh Bi Feng, Senior Executive, Corporate Communications, Asia
t: (65) 6420 7154 m: (65) 9002 9607
e: loh.bifeng@vimn.com
Hong Kong, December 9, 2013 – Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), Lionsgate’s (NYSE: LGF) partner in Asia and one of Asia’s largest vertically integrated independent entertainment companies, announced today that it has signed a content licensing deal with MediaCorp, Singapore’s leading media company, for more than 700 hours of Lionsgate’s (NYSE: LGF) TV series and feature films. The deal allows MediaCorp’s over-the-top platform, Toggle, to air the licensed Lionsgate series and films on its channels Toggle Eve and Toggle Movies, and include them in their Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD) service.
“We are very excited to be partnering with one of the region’s leading media companies to bring our fantastic slate of television series and prolific library of movies to Toggle’s growing subscriber base. Singaporean viewers can enjoy the flexibility of watching shows like Mad Men via multiple devices on demand. We look forward to more collaboration with MediaCorp as they continue to expand Toggle’s entertainment offering,” said Wendy Reeds, CTE’s Executive Vice President, Content Sales and Distribution.
“We are excited to collaborate with Celestial Tiger Entertainment to bring Lionsgate’s TV series and feature films to our viewers. These programs will form an important part of our content portfolio for Toggle, and will allow us to continue to bring new and exciting content to our online multi-device entertainment service for our customers,” said William Lee, Senior Vice President, Toggle, MediaCorp.
The deal includes the Golden Globe® and Emmy® award-winning TV series Weeds, which recently completed its eighth season, and seasons one through five of fan favorite Mad Men, which won the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy® Award four years in a row. Also included in the deal are light-hearted entertainment such as the highly addictive Nail Files, a reality series following the fabulous life of nail salon owner Katie Cazorla, and Running Wilde, a half hour comedy starring Will Arnett (Arrested Development) as a rich, self-centered bachelor who has everything he wants except the girl of his dreams.
The deal also includes hundreds of films from Lionsgate’s vast feature library including blockbuster titles such as American Pie, American Psycho, Dirty Dancing, Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and the Cube and Leprechaun franchises.
Lionsgate is partnered in CTE with Saban Capital Group and Astro’s Celestial Pictures. CTE exclusively sells Lionsgate’s content in Greater China and Southeast Asia and also represents the studio’s television content and film library in Japan and Korea.
###
Media Contact:
Pauline Poon
Celestial Tiger Entertainment
T: 852 2239 6131
E: pauline.poon@celestialtiger.com
About Celestial Tiger Entertainment
CELESTIAL TIGER ENTERTAINMENT (CTE) is a diversified media company dedicated to entertaining audiences in Asia and beyond. The company focuses on the operation of branded pay television channels, content creation and content distribution targeted at Asian consumers.
CTE operates a powerful bouquet of distinct pay television channels including: CELESTIAL MOVIES, the most widely distributed 24-hour Chinese movie channel in the world; CELESTIAL CLASSIC MOVIES, the gateway to an unparalleled array of Chinese movie masterpieces; CELESTIAL MOVIES HD, the latest Chinese movies in high definition; cHK, a one-stop channel for cool, chic, and contemporary celebrity-powered Hong Kong entertainment; KIX, the ultimate destination for action entertainment; THRILL, Asia’s only horror and suspense movie channel; and KIX HD, featuring the best of action with a late-night dose of thrillers in high definition.
As one of Asia’s largest vertically integrated independent entertainment companies, CTE produces original content which complements its channels business. CTE is also the exclusive sales agent for Hollywood studio Lionsgate in Greater China and Southeast Asia, and represents Lionsgate’s television content and vast feature film library in Japan and Korea as well.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, CTE’s majority shareholders are Saban Capital Group, a leading private investment firm specializing in the media, entertainment and communications industries; Celestial Pictures, a major Asian entertainment company wholly-owned by Astro, the owner and operator of the leading DTH platform in Malaysia; and Lionsgate, the world’s largest independent filmed entertainment studio.
For more information, please visit www.celestialtiger.com.
Hong Kong, 6 December 2013 – Amongst a number of other awards, FOX International Channels (FIC) Asia was crowned Cable & Satellite Network of the Year last night at the Asian Television Awards, proving its commitment to delivering outstanding content to viewers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
The Asian Television Awards are managed by Contineo Media, publisher of regional television, film and content trade publication Television Asia Plus. These prestigious awards, now in their 18th year, recognize the outstanding achievements of Asia’s best and brightest television professionals, content producers and broadcasters.
1,238 entries spanning 14 countries in the region ensured that competition on the night was fierce. FOX International Channels Asia led the pack with 16 nominations across several categories.
In addition to Cable & Satellite Network of the Year, Malaysia From Below on NGC Asia won Best Natural History or Wildlife Programme, while Freedom Riders Asia on STAR Sports won Best Cross-Platform Content. Mission Covershot on NGC India, Malaysia From Below on NGC Asia and STAR Sports presenters Collette Wong and Paula Ali all received Highly Commended recognition in their respective nominated categories.
“As FIC continues to produce more and more original content out of Asia, our success at this year’s Asian Television Awards is a testament to the passion, innovation and dedication of our teams from 15 different offices to create and deliver the very best television content to our viewers,” said Joon Lee, Executive Vice President of Content and Communications, Asia Pacific and the Middle East at FIC. “We want to thank the Asian Television Awards panel of judges for their recognition as well as all our industry peers and colleagues, as we were honoured to be in such great company.”
Awards Summary
Awards won by FIC Asia at the Asian Television Awards 2013:
• Cable & Satellite Network of the Year
• Best Natural History or Wildlife Programme
Malaysia from Below
National Geographic Channel Asia
Produced in association with Scubazoo Sdn Bhd.
Executive Produced by: Mark Francis, VP of Production & Development, FIC
• Best Cross-Platform Content
Freedom Riders Asia
STAR Sports
Executive Produced by: Jim Ribbans, Executive Producer of Original Content Production, FOX Sports
• Highly Commended in the Best Sports Presenter/Commentator category
Paula Malai Ali – Formula 1 (Race Day) on STAR Sports
Colette Wong – Golf Focus on STAR Sports
• Highly Commended in the Best Reality Show category
Mission Covershot
National Geographic Channel India
Produced by FremantleMedia India
• Highly Commended in the Best Cinematography category
Roger Munns & Hitesh Makan for Malaysia From Below
National Geographic Channel
Produced in association with Scubazoo Sdn Bhd.
Executive Produced by: Mark Francis, VP of Production & Development, FIC
Nominations received by FIC at the Asian Television Awards
• Best Documentary Program Special –
Inside: The Shanghai Bund on National Geographic Channel Asia
Access 360° World Heritage: Taj Maha on National Geographic Channel Asia
• Best Documentary Series –
Access 360° World Heritage on National Geographic Channel Asia
• Best Natural History for Wildlife Program –
Malaysia From Below on National Geographic Channel Asia
Panda’s Wild Move on National Geographic Channel Asia
• Best General Entertainment Program –
Freedom Riders Asia on STAR Sports
• Best Reality Show –
Mission: Covershot on National Geographic Channel India
• Best Cross-Platform Content –
Freedom Riders Asia on STAR Sports
Driving Change With Caltex on Star World Asia
• Best Sports Presenter
Collette Wong for Golf Focus on STAR Sports
Paula Ali for Formula 1 (Race Day) on STAR Sports
• Best Cinematography
Access 360° World Heritage: Cappadocia on National Geographic Channel Asia
Malaysia from Below on National Geographic Channel
Style in the City on FOX Traveller
Life Mein Ek Baar – When Angels Dare on FOX Traveller
• Best Theme Song
The Apartment Style Edition on Star World
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About FOX International Channels (FIC)
FOX International Channels (FIC) is 21st Century FOX’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 300+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports, movie and lifestyle channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 45 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1.6 billion cumulative households worldwide.
In Asia, FIC operates or distributes 30+ channel brands, including the FOX, STAR and National Geographic brands, with over 100 feeds across 14 markets. As the leading pay-TV network in the region, we reach more than 550 million cumulative subscribers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East with offices in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia and the UAE.
For more information, please visit www.foxinternationalchannels.com.
This press release was issued on behalf of FOX International Channels Asia by Tactic Public Relations Limited (Tactic). For further information, please contact:
FOX International Channels Tactic Public Relations Limited (Tactic)
Kelly Jang
Director, Pan Regional Trade Marketing & PR
DID: +852 2621 8875
kelly.jang@fox.com
Kristen Gallagher
Tactic – Hong Kong
DID: +852 2114 4345
kristen.gallagher@tacticpr.com.hk
Diana Low
Tactic – Singapore
DID: +65 6325 8264
diana.low@tacticpr.com.sg
With intelligence, monitoring and technology support from Irdeto, Dutch Police raid five homes suspected of illegal card sharing piracy
04 December 2013 – Through a collaborative effort between The Dutch Police, The Public Prosecution Service, Dutch TV providers and Irdeto, it was announced today that Police raided five homes in Apeldoorn, Enschede, Vlagtwedde and the Hague arresting several people suspected of operating illegal card sharing piracy networks. Last year, the Dutch Police received several tips from the largest television operators in the Netherlands and Irdeto, a media protection, revenue assurance and anti-piracy partner to the pay media industry. Extensive investigations were conducted, which culminated in the raids. The raids are part of a larger effort by all parties to take a leadership role in fighting TV piracy in the country.
“It is our intent for these raids to send a strong message that this type of TV piracy is illegal and will not be tolerated in The Netherlands,” said Ger Laning of the Dutch Police. “Piracy is a serious threat to pay media companies worldwide and to our local Dutch TV providers. We saw a unique opportunity to work with technology and anti-piracy experts like Irdeto to disrupt pirate activity. In the future, the Dutch Police will explore further actions against this form of cybercrime, which results in a revenue loss for Dutch pay TV operators.”
In 2011, after an increasing number of advertisements for pirate TV card-sharing subscriptions appeared on auction websites in the Netherlands, Irdeto and local Dutch TV providers commenced investigations into several suspects offering card sharing equipment and illegal pirate subscriptions for sale. While broadcasters and pay media operators are the most visible victims of piracy, consumers are mostly unaware that profits made from piracy can often be linked to organized crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering and tax evasion.
In 2012, Irdeto and the local TV providers jointly referred several cases to the Dutch Police with supporting evidence. Ongoing investigations revealed that card sharing networks in question were also providing unauthorized pirated access to international pay TV channels provided by operators like M7 Group, who then joined as complainants to the Dutch Police. With the raids now executed, all the evidence from the raids will be analyzed and The Public Prosecution Service will make a determination regarding any further criminal charges which may be filed in the coming months.
“The impact of piracy can be reduced, and Irdeto and its partners have taken the important first steps in a campaign to combat this illegal activity,” said Sheila Cassells, Executive Director of the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA). “Many individuals feel that all content should be free, and may not fully understand how piracy affects a business. That’s why AAPA and its members are working hard to address the theft of TV services. Actions such as these send a clear message to consumers that piracy is wrong and there are better, more compelling alternatives.”
Card sharing piracy poses a major threat to pay TV operators and broadcasters and occurs when a pirate steals and retransmits a regularly changing control word that is passed between a smart card and a set-top-box (STB), allowing subscribers to watch TV content they have not legitimately paid for.
The comprehensive evidence packages regarding these illegal card sharing networks were largely prepared by Irdeto, a technology and subject matter expert in anti-piracy with a string of successful investigations and prosecutions with operators such as MultiChoice Africa, UPC DTH, M7 Group and FOXTEL.
“Irdeto remains dedicated to identifying and countering organized criminal enterprises who wish to circumvent our customers’ security measures and financially profit from pirated content,” said Rob Van Nunen, Senior Security Director for Irdeto. “Understanding where piracy is occurring – and actively taking measures to stop it – is pivotal to successfully growing revenues and protecting the pay TV business model. We do this by working closely with local law enforcement like the Dutch Police and through our advanced, sophisticated network of technical and anti-piracy experts. It’s a discover, disrupt and discredit approach that we’ve seen growing success with over the past several years.”
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About Irdeto
Irdeto is a world leader in Multiscreen, Revenue Assurance and Media Protection solutions for pay TV operators, OTT service providers and content owners. Irdeto enables pay media companies to provide a personal media experience for their consumers, uncover new revenue opportunities and
offer new forms of entertainment on broadcast, broadband and mobile networks. The company offers an advanced portfolio of rights management, multi-screen, home networking, media protection, piracy control and business intelligence services. Irdeto’s success in the market is evidenced by its software security solutions being the most widely deployed in the world for pay TV on satellite, cable, terrestrial and IP networks and by helping customers preserve business value and generate new revenue with its Multiscreen services. Irdeto is a subsidiary of multinational media group Naspers (JSE: NPN). Please visit Irdeto at www.irdeto.com
About AAPA
AAPA represents companies involved in the provision of protected audiovisual services, security technology for such services, and the manufacturing of products which facilitate the delivery of such services. AAPA’s mission is to enable the fight against piracy where this involves the development, promotion, distribution, application or use of technologies resulting in the unauthorised use of protected audiovisual content, by coordinating intelligence and action supported by effective legislation and its implementation.
For further information please contact:
Katie Walsh
Senior Manager, Public Relations, Irdeto
Mobile: 603-738-9599
Email: katherine.walsh@irdeto.com
Sheila Cassells
Executive Director, AAPA
Tel: +44 7500 243 136
Email: Sheila.cassells@aapa.eu
(Dec 6, 2013) CNN International has once again been recognised for its outstanding global journalism winning the coveted ‘Cable & Satellite Channel of the Year’, ‘Best News Story’ and ‘Best Social Awareness Program’ categories at the 2013 Asian Television Awards held in Singapore.
Read more at C+T
(Dec 5, 2013) Vietnamese pay-TV operator HTVC Cable TV System will launch Scripps Networks Interactive’s Asian Food Channel to its 700,000-plus subscribers on December 8.
Read more at World Screen
