TV Services (Pay TV, OTT, Broadcasting) News

United Group makes strategic investment in Forthnet
May 29, 2020 – United Group has agreed to acquire the debt and a significant minority interest in Forthnet. The transaction will see United Group acquire all of the company’s loan obligations, the convertible debt and an initial 36% of the company’s shares.
News categories: United Group, Forthnet, BC Partners, Victoriya Boklag, Panos Papadopoulos, Nikos Stathopoulos, Digital TV, Greece, MandA, Satellite

Disney+ and Apple TV+ both see success during first six months in the market
May 29, 2020 – Parks Associates has released research showing that new OTT services Apple TV+ and Disney+ have captured significant market share in the streaming video space, rounding out the top five behind the 'Big 3' Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
News categories: Parks Associates, Steve Nason, Digital TV, Market Research, Streaming, USA

Britbox app now available on BT TV set-top boxes
May 29, 2020 – BritBox and BT have announced that the BritBox app is now available on BT TV set-top boxes. BT TV customers will be able to access the app with their current log-in or sign up online. BT plans to offer integrated billing fon BT TV later this year.
News categories: BT TV, BritBox, Siena Pakington, Reemah Sakaan, Apps, Digital TV, IPTV, Set Top Box, UK

Bouygues Telecom replaces set-top box with Smart TV app
May 28, 2020 – Bouygues Telecom has launched Bbox Smart TV. With Bbox Smart TV, the TV decoder disappears and is replaced with an app called B.TV+, which is exclusively pre-installed in a Samsung Smart TV, giving access to a large catalogue of TV services.
News categories: Bouygues Telecom, Samsung, Benoît Torloting, Guillaume Rault, Apps, Digital TV, France, IPTV, Set Top Box, Smart TV

Cable-Tec Expo unable to go ahead
May 27, 2020 – SCTE•ISBE has received official notification that Governor Polis’ executive order designating the Colorado Convention Center as a temporary medical facility has been extended through the remainder of the year.
News categories: SCTE•ISBE, Cable TV, CableTecExpo, COVID-19, Digital TV, USA

HBO Max launched in the U.S.
May 27, 2020 – WarnerMedia’s streaming platform, HBO Max, has officially launched. The launch is the culmination of efforts to bring the best of WarnerMedia together to launch the new offering, following AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner.
News categories: WarnerMedia, HBO Max, Bob Greenblatt, Digital TV, Streaming, USA

NEXTGEN TV begins broadcasting in Las Vegas
May 26, 2020 – Sinclair Broadcast (NASDAQ: SBGI), Nexstar Media (NASDAQ: NXST), and The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) have announced that their Las Vegas television stations have begun broadcasting in NEXTGEN TV powered by ATSC 3.0.
News categories: Sinclair Broadcast, Nexstar Media, Scripps, Chris Ripley, Perry Sook, Brian Lawlor, John Hane, ATSC 3, Content Distribution, Digital TV, USA

PallyCon forensic watermarking added to Akamai ecosystem
May 26, 2020 – PallyCon has teamed up with Akamai to secure streaming video content against piracy and illegal distribution. Akamai has developed a comprehensive security ecosystem through its Technology Partner Program.
News categories: INKA Entworks, Akamai, PallyCon, Govindraj Basatwar, Amit Kasturia, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Streaming, Watermarking, Worldwide

Shifts in viewing behavior continue during COVID-19 pandemic
May 26, 2020 – As millions of Americans have adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research from Comscore (Nasdaq: SCOR) shows that engagement with streaming services and year-over-year in-home data usage surged in the beginning of May 2020.
News categories: Comscore, Apps, COVID-19, Digital TV, Market Research, Streaming, USA