News

New satellite launch to help fast-track digital India, says expert

Deepak Mathur added: “ISRO has a pivotal role to play in the development of new space technologies and in making space more accessible, and affordable.

LONDON: The launch of a new mega satellite providing coverage over Asia will help fast-track Digital India and financial inclusion initiatives, according to a leading satellite industry expert.

Deepak Mathur, Executive Vice-President, Global Sales at SES Video, said the successful launch of SES-12 recently would help support India’s growing direct-to-home (DTH) TV market, as more and more consumers in rural India embrace the medium.

“The satellite will be able to help accelerate the country’s push towards a Digital India, the government’s vision to digitally empower India and transform connectivity in the country,” said Mathur.

“SES-12’s high throughput capacity over South Asia and India could potentially help meet the enormous demand for capacity that will be needed to fast-track Digital India, and financial inclusion initiatives,” he said.

The senior executive at SES, one of the world’s leading satellite operators, said that in line with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recent directive to allow mobile and Internet services in Indian airspace, the satellite’s concentrated beams could also provide highly cost-effective capacity to enable inflight connectivity services.

SES-12, which is uniquely designed with state-of-the-art wide beams and high throughput beams, was successfully launched onboard a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US, in early June.

It is set to replace and augment the services currently being provided on SES’ NSS-6 satellite. Together with SES-8, SES-12 will reach 18 million TV homes from its orbital position.

The satellites will provide pay-TV operators the reliability and scalability to elevate viewing experiences by adding more content and delivering higher-quality picture quality to address the ever-increasing audience demand for High Definition (HD) and Ultra HD content, the company said.

The cutting-edge technology satellite, which will provide coverage from the Middle East to Australia, effectively combines two satellites into one – offering powerful Ku-band wide beams for broadcast and media applications, and high throughput spot beams for providing internet connectivity, reliable cellular services and content targeted at specific language groups.

“With its dual capabilities of both wide beams and high throughput spot beams, SES-12 will serve to enhance connectivity for people and businesses in remote and unconnected parts across Asia, where providing rural connectivity and eliminating the digital divide is a key priority for many governments. SES-12 also brings augmented capacity to enable satellite broadcasting and direct-to-home (DTH) services across Asia-Pacific,” explains Mathur.

SES-12 is one of the largest geostationary satellites that SES has ever launched. The spacecraft also has a Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) that increases payload flexibility to provide much more customisable bandwidth solutions to SES’s customers.

Specifically over India, SES has five satellites – NSS-12, SES-8, NSS-6, SES-7 and SES-9 – currently operational. SES-12 will be replacing NSS-6 as the largest satellite to offer services and capacity over India.

The company’s primary customer in the Indian market is Antrix, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with whom it has worked to help augment the enormous demand for satellite connectivity over India.

Mathur added: “ISRO has a pivotal role to play in the development of new space technologies and in making space more accessible, and affordable.

“We are exploring potential areas of collaboration with Indian partners to see how we can work together to advance the development of space technologies.”

Luxembourg-headquartered SES provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions around the world.

Its latest all-electric SES-12 spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space and joins SES’ network of seven geostationary satellites and 16 medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. AK PMS PMS

MTI Teleport Munich and Sky Germany chose ABS-3A capacity to deliver live coverage for the Wimbledon Championships

Singapore/Unterfoehring, 28th June 2018 – Global satellite operator, ABS and MTI Teleport Munich have signed a capacity deal for the Wimbledon Championships 2018 to deliver video live coverage of the tournament to Sky Deutschland, the right-holder for the German market. From 2nd July, several simultaneous high definition (HD) video feeds from the venue will be carried over the ABS-3A satellite, ensuring a permanent contribution link between the various production facilities in London and Sky Deutschland headquarters in Unterfoehring.

Sky Deutschland, the leading pay-tv operator will have exclusive HD coverage of the tournament, delivering the live broadcast signal of all the matches to the German market via satellite, cable and mobile networks.

Over the past two years, the ABS-3A satellite has established itself as a prime “conduit” for video contribution services in Europe and most notably in the German market, for which it distributes the live coverage of German football for both public and private broadcasters.

Ludwig Schaeffler, CEO MTI emphasized “Once again we are happy to include ABS into our international sports delivery network, which we optimized for live sports transmissions.”

“ABS-3A again is chosen as the preferred satellite platform to contribute live feeds across Europe for major sporting events,” said Paolo Pusterla, MD of Europe & the Middle East. “We at ABS are delighted to work with our long-lasting partner MTI to serve the leading pay-tv in Europe, Sky Deutschland, for such an important event.”

Alessandro Reitano, Vice President Sports Production, Sky Deutschland commented, “ABS-3A has quickly developed to one of our key satellites for the contribution and production of high quality sports events for the region. At Wimbledon we are looking forward to another great event in partnership with MTI and ABS.”

AsiaSat collaborates with KBZ to provide OTT via satellite video service in Myanmar

Hong Kong, 27 June 2018 – Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat – SEHK: 1135), Asia’s leading satellite operator announced its collaboration with KBZ Gateway Company Limited (KBZ) to explore business opportunities for providing OTT (Over-the-Top) via Satellite video service in Myanmar.

This initiative will initially support the free to air distribution of national TV channels, enabling audience across the country to have access to free online video content via mobile and other connected devices no matter where they are.

The OTT via Satellite video service is a dynamic solution to help broadcasters and content providers reach their audiences instantly and cost effectively. The service aims to make content more available across platforms, whether it is for bringing content seamlessly to separated and rural areas via village Wi-Fi or for connectivity on the move, such as for cruise ships, planes and trains.

AsiaSat will invest in providing space segment and ground facility from its teleport hub in connection with the project. KBZ will invest in the supply of the installation, servicing and roll-out of OTT boxes in Myanmar and securing licensing of the TV channels to be distributed on the OTT platform.

KBZ is a licensed VSAT operator in Myanmar, for the provision of, including but not limited to, internet broadband access via satellite. KBZ’s Chief Technology Officer and Head of Business, Virender Singh said, “Continuous Innovation and excellence in service has been our motto from day one. This will help us bring OTT services to the remote regions of Myanmar and our customers will be able to enjoy content on any device via any platform of their choice. Our close partnership with AsiaSat has helped us achieve a superior service quality in the VSAT space and we hope to bring even faster and better connectivity experience to remote and rural Myanmar.”

AsiaSat’s Chief Commercial Officer, Barrie Woolston said, “Innovation continues to push us forward, and we are keen to explore new and dynamic ways for people to enjoy services that otherwise could not be possible due to geographical restrictions. We are excited to extend our partnership with KBZ beyond the traditional VSAT service to launch for Myanmar video service, and in the near future, deliver the service for wider communities across the Asia-Pacific.”

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About AsiaSat
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), the leading satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its seven satellites, AsiaSat 3S, AsiaSat 4, AsiaSat 5, AsiaSat 6, AsiaSat 7 and AsiaSat 8, and the new AsiaSat 9. The AsiaSat satellite fleet serves both the broadcast and telecommunications industries. 600 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company’s satellites offering access to more than 830 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 1135). For more information, please visit www.asiasat.com | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Mobile App

About KBZ Gateway Company Limited
KBZ Gateway Company Limited is a subsidiary of The Kanbawza (KBZ) Group of Companies, one of the largest privately-owned diversified group of companies in Myanmar. KBZ Gateway was developed to further extend the Group’s abilities through technology and maximise its ability to contribute to the industry and country. The company aims to be the provider of providers for the country, becoming an enabler for its partners to help them increase their service quality and options made available to the community. Its ecosystem of partners provides an end to end service ranging from international & national connectivity, supported by next generation VSAT capability, mobile rooftop antennas, carrier neutral POPs, Tier III DC, Cloud, MNS and a full range of professional services as an Oracle Gold partner. For more information, please visit www.kbzgateway.com

Media Contact:
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited
Winnie Pang, Manager, Marketing Communications | Tel: (852) 2500 0880 | Email: wpang@asiasat.com

KBZ Gateway Company Limited
Aye Sandar Lwin, Head of Communications | Tel: (95) 09-788388372 | Email: ayesandar.lwin@kbzgateway.com

‘Empty desks everywhere': film industry reeling from online piracy

Within six months of being released at the box office, hit Australian film Lion had been illegally downloaded and streamed hundreds of thousands of times by online pirates.

This figure came as a shock to Academy Award-winning joint managing director of See-Saw Films production company Emile Sherman, known for films like Lion and The King’s Speech.

“We all know in the industry how bad piracy is but I didn’t have a sense of how enormous it has been for our film Lion and how damaging until I saw these numbers,” Mr Sherman told Fairfax Media.

“There is nothing redemptive about piracy. Stealing people’s intellectual property has massive effects and has the ability to erode filmmakers’ capacity to make content.”

He could not put a dollar on the financial impact piracy has had on the company’s returns from its 2016 film Lion, but said it was “clearly very significant”.

Recent research from Screen Audience Research International for Creative Content Australia shows when someone goes to pirate content for the first time, 70 per cent will use a search engine to find free, illegal downloads.

Almost half of all Australians trying to pirate content have encountered a blocked site, but only 9 per cent of pirates were deterred, with one in two continuing to use search to find an alternative.

“In this world of over-the-top video-on-demand platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, the industry is being disrupted and it’s important for the government to look at the best way of protecting it. Piracy is absolutely up there as one of the top concerns,” he said.

“Websites need to be responsible global citizens and facilitating crime is not good for anybody except criminals,” he said.

A Deloitte report released on Wednesday, commissioned by Screen Producers Australia, reported signs the screen industry is starting to “struggle”.

More than 40 per cent of production companies with revenues below $1 million recorded a loss in 2017, with 22 per cent overall making a loss. About half made a “small” profit, with a third of businesses saying their margins had narrowed in recent years.

Almost one in 10 of all surveyed production businesses were concerned about solvency within the next five years.

But while piracy was among the concerns cited by screen professionals, with 17 per cent describing it as a challenge, it was seen as the lesser of the evils.

Fears about the impact of broadcaster bargaining power, high labour costs, government tax policies, international competition and competition from subscription platforms trumped piracy as a concern by significant margins.

Village Roadshow co-chief executive Graham Burke and chairman of Creative Content Australia is an anti-piracy campaigner who has been outspoken against Google for not pre-emptively removing suspected pirate sites. He describes piracy as “devastating” the film industry, leads Australians to unsafe websites and acts as a “threat” tothe viability of creating local content.

As a film distributor he said they had “empty desks everywhere … we can’t compete with stolen goods being sold for free”.

The push against piracy from the film industry comes at a time when the government is undertaking a review of copyright legislation, including expanding safe harbour rules for universities, schools and libraries on Wednesday. It’s understood some in the creative industry do not want similar protections, which also exist for telecommunications companies, to be extended to tech platforms like Google.

Mr Burke’s submission to the review specifically pointed to 331,000 illegal downloads of Lion and 600,000 likely streams, describing it as a “direct loss of revenue to the production company and the tax office”.

A Google spokesman said the platform had demoted 65,000 websites globally and continue to demote more each week, investing hundreds of millions of dollars into fighting piracy globally.

“Google uses the information it receives through the copyright takedown process to demote sites for which it has received a sufficient number of notices,” the spokesman said.

“Demotion results in sites losing around 90 per cent of their visitors from Google Search.”

Bambu Wireless selects EUTELSAT 172B to provide connectivity services across the Philippines

Paris, 26 June 2018 – Bambu Wireless, a Philippine Telecommunications Solutions Provider, has signed a multiyear contract with Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) for capacity on the EUTELSAT 172B satellite. Commercialised under the brand BambuSat, the capacity will be used for broadband, maritime, and government services across the Philippines’ 6,000 inhabited islands.

Bambu Wireless will leverage Ku-band capacity on EUTELSAT 172B to offer a wide range of connectivity solutions for education, healthcare, agriculture and logistics across the country’s three island groups – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao – that stretch over 1,850 kilometres.

Simeon Sander III Dela Cruz, CEO of Bambu Wireless, said: “This agreement will allow us to benefit from EUTELSAT 172B’s exceptional coverage of the Pacific to overcome the significant connectivity challenges associated with the Philippine geography, bringing better Internet and VOIP services and ensuring communication needs are covered across the archipelago.”

Jean-Francois Fenech, CEO of Eutelsat Asia, added: “We are delighted to welcome our first Philippine customer, Bambu Wireless, on board EUTELSAT 172B, one of the region’s youngest and most powerful satellites. We look forward to expanding our business opportunities in the region.”

About Bambu Wireless and BambuSat
Bambu Wireless is a registered Internet Service Provider. Bambu Wireless offers connectivity solutions such as dedicated internet services, bandwidth-on-demand, and other wireless applicable technologies to hotels, offices, and other high-rise commercial buildings in Metro Manila. Bambu Wireless hubs are strategically located in areas in Metro Manila.

BambuSat is the latest connectivity solution through our partner Eutelsat. BambuSat aims to be the catalyst in the transformation of Filipino communities by bringing wireless connectivity through APNIC-registered, telco agnostic facility, and fully redundant tier 3 partnered-facility supported by TGN-IA, SJC, AAG and EAC landing stations in our own-country-site earth station in Carmona, Laguna, Philippines.

For more information, visit www.bambuwireless.com

About Eutelsat Communications
Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,800 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 46 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.

Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL).

For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com

Press
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 mecuer@eutelsat.com
Christina Darvasi Tel: +52 55 2629 5847 cdarvasi@eutelsat.com

Investors and analysts
Joanna Darlington Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Cédric Pugni Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 cpugni@eutelsat.com

MEASAT to display Next Generation Compression for UHD channels distribution Collaboration with NovelSat and V-Nova provides up to 3x bandwidth savings

Kuala Lumpur, 25 June 2018 – MEASAT Global Berhad (“MEASAT”) announced today a showcase in collaboration with NovelSat and V-Nova to demonstrate cutting-edge compression for Ultra High Definition (UHD) primary distribution over satellite. The new technology provides up to three (3) times bandwidth savings and will be demonstrated live at MEASAT’s booth in CommunicAsia 2018 from 26 – 28 June.

MEASAT has also partnered with some of Asia’s leading UHD content creators for this must-see showcase. Fashion One 4K, Fun Box UHD, Insight UHD, Love Nature 4K and TravelXP 4K will display their UHD content on a stunning 86 inch 4K UHD TV sponsored by LG.

The content will be encoded using V-Nova’s PERSEUS Plus codec at 50 fps, 4:2:0 8- bit colour depth and broadcast with DVB-S2 at 8 Mbps. The NovelSat NS4 based solution can deliver more information bit rates per MHz and raises the total transmission capacity. The feed will then be delivered via MEASAT-3 satellite at the 91.5°E orbital slot to CommunicAsia. This solution makes distribution of UHD channels more cost effective without compromising video quality.

“One reason MEASAT is Asia’s preferred UHD partner is because of our commitment and belief in working with leading technology partners to provide innovative solutions to the market,” said Raj Malik, Senior Vice President – Sales. “With NovelSat and V-Nova, MEASAT continues to be on the cutting edge of broadcast technology and provide significant cost savings for UHD distribution across the Asia Pacific.”

“Driven by more channels and more high resolution content, MEASAT is constantly on the lookout for solutions that help them manage increasing demand for satellite capacity,” said Ronen Sadan, AVP Marketing, NovelSat. “NovelSat NS4 offers the world’s most efficient satellite transmission technology, which makes it easier for MEASAT to expand their offering using much less bandwidth compared with other solutions.”

“We are delighted to partner with MEASAT and NovelSat to deliver this monumental step forward in UHD primary distribution,” commented Guido Meardi, Founder and CEO of V-Nova. “Delivering live UHD at the quality consumers demand at just 8 Mbps is simply impossible with any other video codec and is another great showcase of how PERSEUS Plus can transform the economics of video delivery throughout the industry.”

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About Novelsat
NovelSat is a technology company dedicated to providing next-generation modulation solutions for satellite communications. NovelSat offers superior spectral efficiency with its NovelSat NS4™ satellite transmission software package, which is available in all NovelSat satellite modems, modulators and demodulators. All NovelSat equipment also supports DVB-S, DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X transmission standards. In addition to unmatched spectral efficiency, NovelSat offers a broad range of satellite communications solutions including NovelNet – a full-featured NMS for satellite/terrestrial networks, ProtCASTER – a DRM solution for satellite broadcast based on virtually unbreakable 256-bit encryption, unmatched resilience algorithms that mitigate the effects of various types interference and PCIe-based mod/demod cards for OEM applications. NovelSat solutions deliver the satellite industry’s most compelling ROI and the most scalable transmission solutions from 64Kbps to 850Mbps on a single modem. Learn more at www.novelsat.com

Contact: Ronen Sadan / +972 77-8994269 / ronen.s@novelsat.com

About V-Nova

V-Nova Ltd. is a London-headquartered technology company providing next-generation compression solutions that address the ever-growing media processing and delivery challenges. V-Nova provides solutions spanning the entire media delivery chain, including content production, contribution, storage and distribution to end users. V-Nova’s award-winning PERSEUS™ is the only cross-media codec format and delivers on the promises of next-generation image and video compression, today. Using PERSEUS technology, media and entertainment companies can now monetise unmet consumer demand for higher definition video everywhere, on existing devices and infrastructure, by a simple software upgrade.

The PERSEUS technology works in 2 ways: PERSEUS Pro is an Intra codec for mathematically lossless and visually lossless professional production, contribution and imaging workflows. PERSEUS Plus is a temporal codec designed to enhance a base codec such as H.264 or HEVC, adding additional layers of detail and upscaling for unbeatable distribution efficiency to consumers. For more information please visit www.v-nova.com

Contact: Becky Taylor / becky@pagemelia.com

About MEASAT

MEASAT is a premium supplier of communication and video services to leading broadcasters, Direct-To-Home (DTH) platforms and telecom operators. With capacity across six (6) communication satellites, MEASAT provides services to over 150 countries representing 80% of the world’s population across Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Australia.

Working with a select group of world-class partners, MEASAT also provides a complete range of broadcast and telecommunications solutions. Services include UHD, HD and SD video play-out, video turnaround, co-location, uplinking, broadband and IP connectivity services. For more information, please visit www.measat.com.

Contact: Ilham Bakti Adnan / +60 (3) 8213 2154 / ilham@measat.com

Subscription Video-on-Demand Service Providers in ASEAN Introduce Content Code to Safeguard Consumer Interests

Leading subscription video-on-demand services across ASEAN, including ASTRO, dimsum, Fox+, HOOQ, iflix, Netflix, tonton, TVB and The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) have come together to announce the creation of a self-regulatory Subscription Video-on-Demand Industry Content Code (hereafter referred to as the “Code”) to safeguard consumer interests.

The Code sets out principles to ensure that content offered on these participating platforms is authentic, free from hate speech, hate crimes, pornography, and other forms of inappropriate content. They also pledge their best efforts to provide consumer control features or other measures to ensure that content delivered is age-appropriate for relevant family members of the users in ASEAN.

Companies participating in the Code said, “We share a mutual objective of putting consumer well-being at the heart of our services. This Code demonstrates our commitment to making sure that the consumer is able to make content viewing choices that are right for them and their families.”

This idea was first discussed at the ASEAN Telecom Regulators Council dialogue, held in Bangkok in September 2017. This forum brought together both regulators as well as industry in dialogue, to create pan-ASEAN solutions. Companies affirmed the value of this type of open dialogue and collaborative efforts towards addressing challenges.

This initiative has been welcomed and supported by CASBAA, a regional industry association.

The Companies look forward to working with other players in the SVOD space in ASEAN under the principles in the Code which will also serve to distinguish legitimate services from pirate sites. “When a consumer goes to a pirate site for content, not only do they undermine legitimate businesses, but there are no checks on the content which means minors can very easily be exposed to pornography or graphic violence,” said Louis Boswell, CEO of Casbaa.

FashionTV OTT (FTV+) Launches New Channels including F Teens, F Kids and F Destinations

An occasion of two major media events: Broadcast Asia Singapore (FTV Party @ F Club Singapore 27th June) and Webit Sofia (FTV Party @ PM Club 26th June), FashionTV launches three new OTT channels globally, adding to the existing 12 channels on FTV+.
FashionTV is available to over 500 million homes through PayTV, on 500 million SmartTVs (OTT) and 1.5 billion smartphones through FTV+ OTT.

Fashion Teens Fashion Kids
In recent years, many fashion brands have developed collections focusing on teenagers and kids. F Teens and F Kids present an entertaining overview of this fashion trend.

Fashion Destination
Traveling to destinations with the touch of fashion has become trendy. F Destinations will take you to the most fashionable new hotels and resorts in the world.

FashionTV Bangladesh
FashionTV has entered in a joint venture with R&R Holding Ltd. lead by Ron Sikder, CEO of Sikder Group for Bangladesh. R&R Holdings will launch CNN Bangladesh and CNN Money as well as FashionTV in Q4 2018.
Similar to the India, Thailand, and Indonesia business plans, the Bangladesh business plan includes developing F Shops, F Cafes, F Residences, F Clubs, FTV Coin Deluxe and a variety of products for export with the F brand.

“Fashion is a lifeline for Bangladesh. Bringing FashionTV to Bangladesh will add to the information, sensitivity and appreciation of fashion to our people,” says Ron Sikder, CEO of Sikder Group.
“During my visit to Ron in Dhaka, I was surprised by the popularity of the FashionTV brand. Apparently, many of the Indian DTH platforms where FashionTV is broadcasted are viewed in Bangladesh. FashionTV’s localized channel in Bangladesh to be distributed on the new digital cable and DTH platforms will enjoy similar or better popularity than in India,” suggests Michel Adam, Owner and President of FashionTV.

FTV Coin Deluxe – Cryptocurrency for the Fashion Community
FashionTV has recently launched FTV Coin Deluxe, cryptocurrency for the fashion community. FashionTV has developed the FTV Coin Deluxe and utility token based on ETHEREUM to be used in the FashionTV Ecosystem. The FTV Coin Deluxe is to be launched in several crypto exchanges throughout July/August 2018. For more information visit ftv.com/c.
For more information visit ftv.com.

To meet us during Broadcast Asia Singapore and invitation for FTV Party (@ F Club Singapore 27th June) contact alex@ftv.com.
To meet us during Webit Sofia and to get invitation for FTV Party (@ PM Club 26th June) contact natalya@ftv.com.

The upsurge in Hong Kong of pirated TV boxes poses a major threat to the subscription video industry

Nearly one in four Hong Kong consumers use pirated TV boxes, survey finds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Hong Kong, 25 June 2018 – In a newly released Casbaa survey of the content viewing behaviour of Hong Kong consumers, it was revealed that close to one in four consumers (24%) use a TV box which can be used to stream pirated television and video content. These TV boxes, also known as Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs), allow users to access hundreds of thousands of pirated television channels and video-on-demand content, usually with the payment of a one-time fee. TV boxes BossTV (9%), Ubox (7%), EVPad (6%), Lingcod (5%), and Magic Box (4%), which come pre-loaded with applications allowing ‘plug-and-play’ access to pirated content, are among the most popular ISDs amongst Hong Kong consumers. Over 350 ISDs were recently seized in a Hong Kong Customs enforcement operation (Operation Trojan Horse) resulting in the arrest of four shop owners and four salespersons, all of whom were subsequently charged with copyright offences.

The survey, commissioned by Casbaa’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), and conducted by YouGov, also highlights the effects of streaming piracy on legitimate online subscription services. Of the 24% of consumers who purchased an ISD, half (49%) claimed that they had cancelled all or some of their subscriptions to legal pay TV services. More than one in four (26%) claimed that they cancelled their subscription to local pay TV services as a direct consequence of owning an ISD. Nineteen percent (19%) stated that they had cancelled a specific part of their traditional cable TV bundle or packages after purchasing an ISD. International subscription services were also not immune to the prevalent usage of ISDs in Hong Kong – more than one in five (21%) users who had purchased an ISD said that they had cancelled their international subscription service that was available to them in Hong Kong.

Cancelling legitimate subscription services and paying less for access to pirated content is fraught with risks, as Neil Gane, Managing Director for Casbaa’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) comments, “The damage that content theft does to the creative industries is without dispute. However, the damage done to consumers themselves, because of the nexus between content piracy and malware, is only beginning to be recognised. The piracy ecosystem is a hotbed for malware, whether purchasing ISDs from Sham Shui Po’s Golden Arcade or downloading content from infamous torrent sites. Unfortunately the appetite for free or paying cheap subscription rates for stolen content, blinkers some consumers from the real risks of malicious malware infection such as spyware”.

Of those consumers who own an ISD, about half of respondents (49%) claim to have purchased their illicit streaming device from Sham Shui Po, a popular local electronics hotspot. The survey also found that some of the world’s top e-retail stores and social media platforms are preferred destinations where Hong Kong consumers acquire their ISDs and other devices used for pirating video content from.

In addition to the short-term problem of cancelled subscriptions is a longer term problem – namely, many of the people using ISDs are young. The survey found that ISDs are particularly favoured among 25-34 year-olds and high income earners with university degrees.

“The illicit streaming device (ISD) ecosystem is impacting all businesses involved in the production and distribution of legitimate content”, said Louis Boswell, CEO of Casbaa. “ISD piracy is also organised crime, pure and simple, with crime syndicates making substantial illicit revenues from the provision of illegally re-transmitted TV channels and the sale of such ISDs.”

Casbaa’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) includes leading video content creators and distributors in Asia. Members include: beIN Sports, Casbaa, Discovery, The Walt Disney Company, Fox Networks Group, HBO Asia, NBCUniversal, Premier League, Turner Asia-Pacific, A&E Networks, Astro, BBC Worldwide, CANAL+, Cignal, La Liga, Media Partners Asia, National Basketball Association, PCCW Media, Singtel, Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, TVB, True Visions, TV5MONDE, and Viacom International Media Networks.

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About Casbaa

Casbaa is THE trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. Casbaa leads the fight against video piracy, publishes in-depth reports and hosts conferences and seminars aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

Contact Casbaa

For media contacts and additional background contact:

(Ms) Kay Bayliss
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Tel: +852 5741 6559
pr@casbaa.com

NBCUNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS LAUNCHES DREAMWORKS ON HONG KONG’S i-CABLE

Singapore – June 21, 2018 – NBCUniversal International Networks (NBCUIN) today announced the launch of DreamWorks – the 24-hour channel dedicated to kids and family entertainment – on i-CABLE, Hong Kong’s leading communications provider. Available from June 20 the channel will be offered in English, Mandarin and Cantonese language options as part of the Smart Kids package on i-CABLE (Channel 510).

Viewers can expect to catch DreamWorks signature series Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, Dragons: Race to the Edge, from the critically acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, and The Adventures of Puss in Boots on the channel.

“We are thrilled to be working with our partners at i-CABLE to bring DreamWorks animated series and its beloved characters to households across Hong Kong,” said Christine Fellowes Managing Director, NBCUniversal International Networks, Asia Pacific. “From toddlers to teenagers and kids-at-heart, DreamWorks’ captivating content slate will keep i-CABLE customers tuned into some of the best animation currently in the market.”

“DreamWorks is one of the world’s most prominent companies in animation industry, and it continues to lead the market in creating the very best entertainments for all ages. The launch of DreamWorks is a great addition to i-CABLE,” said Irene Leung, Chief Operating Officer of i-CABLE Communications Limited. “As the first pay television service provider in Hong Kong, i-CABLE provides a wide variety of local and international programmes for our viewers. We are excited to partner with NBCUniversal International Networks to bring DreamWorks entertainment to Hong Kong families.”

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About NBCUniversal International Networks
NBCUniversal International Networks is one of the world’s premier entertainment portfolios, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 165 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The channel brands in the portfolio include UNIVERSAL TV, SYFY, E! Entertainment Television, 13TH STREET, DIVA, Studio Universal, Telemundo, Bravo, DreamWorks and Golf Channel. These unique brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe; the portfolio also includes Movies 24 in the UK and The Style Network in Australia. 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.

NBCUniversal International Networks 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, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

About DreamWorks
DreamWorks, the 24-hour, HD, kids and family network brings DreamWorks’ beloved movie heroes to the small screen to star in their own TV shows. The channel features Emmy® award-winning, original television series such as Dragons: Race to the Edge and The Adventures of Puss in Boots and the critically acclaimed Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. The channel also presents a daily morning preschool block, DreamWorks Junior, for 2-5 year olds featuring favourites such as Noddy Toyland Detective and Raa Raa the Noisy Lion. DreamWorks is currently available in eight languages across eight countries in Asia. Visit dreamworks-asia.com and DreamWorks Asia on Facebook for more information.

About i-CABLE Communications Limited
i-CABLE Communications Limited is an integrated communications services provider in Hong Kong, commanding one of the largest and most influential television viewer and communications service user bases in town. It owns and operates a near universal wireline telecommunications network in Hong Kong, over which it provides Television, Broadband, Telecommunications and multimedia services to over one million households. As the first pay television operator in Hong Kong, it is one of the largest producers of television, and multimedia content based in Hong Kong for distribution over conventional and new media, with a particular focus on news, sports, and infotainment.

For further information, please contact:
NBCUniversal International Networks
Mellissa Wong
Marketing & Communications Executive
(+65) 6675 1258 / mellissa.wong@nbcuni.com

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