Satellite Television (DBS, DTH, DSat, DVB-S, DVB-S2) News

DISH adds hands-free DVR control via Amazon Alexa
May 22, 2017 – DISH customers with a Hopper or Wally and an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot or Amazon Tap can now watch hands-free TV with Alexa. DISH is the first TV provider to offer direct compatibility with Amazon Alexa.
News categories: DISH, Amazon, Niraj Desai, Rob Pulciani, Digital TV, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart Home, USA, UX

ABS and SOLAR to launch FTA DTH service in the Philippines
May 22, 2017 – ABS and the SOLAR Group have formed a joint venture to launch the first nationwide Free-to-View Direct-to-Home (DTH) television service in the Philippines. The service will be available on C-band via ABS-6.
News categories: Asia Broadcast Satellite, SOLAR Group, Tom Choi, Wilson Y. Tieng, Digital TV, Philippines, Satellite

Top 50 operators take three-quarters of global pay TV revenues
May 22, 2017 – Despite adding 120 million subs between 2016 and 2022, subscription and PPV revenues for 522 operators will remain flat at around $185 billion. From this total, Digital TV Research estimates 30 pay TV operators earned more than $1 billion in 2016.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Simon Murray, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Subscribers, Worldwide

U.S. pay TV suffers Q1 subscriber losses for the first time
May 18, 2017 – Leichtman Research Group (LRG) has found that the largest pay-TV providers in the US lost about 410,000 net video subscribers in 1Q 2017, compared to a gain of about 10,000 subscribers in 1Q 2016.
News categories: Leichtman Research, Bruce Leichtman, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Subscribers, USA

U.S. pay TV subscribers decline 802,000 in first quarter
May 16, 2017 – Traditional multichannel defections picked up speed in the first quarter with an estimated loss of 802,000 subscriptions, according to Kagan. The 0.8% decline in a single quarter occurred in the historically strong first three months of the year.
News categories: Kagan, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Streaming, Subscribers, USA

LG and SES demonstrate 4K High Frame Rate technology
May 16, 2017 – SES (Paris; Luxembourg: SESG) and LG will demonstrate OLED TV’s 4K High Frame Rate (HFR) broadcast at the tenth SES Industry Days conference in Luxembourg. The 4K HFR content will be transmitted live via an ASTRA satellite at 19.2°E.
News categories: SES S.A, LG Electronics, Thomas Wrede, Sam Kim, Digital TV, Luxembourg, Satellite, Smart TV, Worldwide

Global pay TV subscribers to reach 1.09 billion
May 15, 2017 – Digital TV Research forecasts 134 million additional pay TV subscribers between 2016 and 2022 to take the total to 1.09 billion. The number of pay TV subscribers will pass the 1 billion mark in early 2018.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Simon Murray, Africa, Asia, Cable TV, Digital TV, Europe, IPTV, Latin America, Market Research, Middle-East, North America, Satellite, Subscribers, Terrestrial, Worldwide

52% of U.S. cord cutters cancelled their pay TV in the last 2 years
May 11, 2017 – According to The Diffusion Group (TDG), more than half of Cord Cutters cancelled their legacy pay-TV service in the two calendar years of 2015 and 2016. Remarkably, one-third of Cord Cutters cancelled service in 2016 alone.
News categories: The Diffusion Group, Michael Greeson, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Streaming, USA

ADB extends cooperation with nc+ in Poland
May 11, 2017 – ADB and nc+ have signed an agreement to extend cooperation on software for the nc+ digital platform. New connected features are to be developed to enhance the market traction of the platform.
News categories: ADB, nc+, Jacek Galik, Jarosław Kordalewski, Digital TV, Poland, Satellite, Set Top Box