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

AT&T closes DIRECTV Latin America operations in Venezuela
May 19, 2020 – AT&T has closed its DIRECTV Latin America operations in Venezuela. The U.S. government’s sanctions have prohibited the broadcast of Globovision and PDVSA's channels which are required under DIRECTV’s license to provide pay TV in Venezuela.
News categories: AT&T, Digital TV, Satellite, Venezuela

Major U.S. pay TV providers lost about 2,065,000 subscribers in 1Q 2020
May 14, 2020 – Leichtman Research Group (LRG) has found that the largest pay-TV providers in the U.S. lost about 2,065,000 net video subscribers in 1Q 2020, compared to a pro forma net loss of about 1,025,000 subscribers in 1Q 2019.
News categories: Leichtman Research, Bruce Leichtman, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Satellite, Streaming, Subscribers, USA

Global pay TV subscribers at 1.06 billion in 2025
May 14, 2020 – Digital TV Research forecasts 35 million additional pay TV subscribers between 2019 and 2025, taking the global total to 1.06 billion. The number of pay TV subscribers passed one billion in 2018.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Simon Murray, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Terrestrial, Worldwide

DISH Network pay TV subscribers down 413,000 in 1Q 2020
May 7, 2020 – DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) has reported results for the quarter ending March 31, 2020. The company closed with 11.32 million Pay-TV subscribers, (9.01 million DISH TV and 2.31 million Sling TV) down approximately 413,000 in the quarter.
News categories: DISH Network, COVID-19, Digital TV, Satellite, Streaming, Subscribers, USA

EU approves Canal Digital-Viasat Consumer joint venture
Apr 30, 2020 – The European Commission has approved the combination of Canal Digital, Telenor Group’s satellite pay-TV business, with Viasat Consumer, Nordic Entertainment Group’s satellite pay-TV and broadband-TV business.
News categories: Telenor, NENT Group, Jørgen C. Arentz Rostrup, Denmark, Digital TV, IPTV, MandA, Norway, Regulation, Satellite, Sweden

Sisvel becomes DVB-S2 patent pool administrator
Apr 30, 2020 – The family of DVB programs administered by Sisvel keeps growing, thanks to the addition of the DVB-S2 patent pool. The program previously managed by S2 Licensing, is now part of Sisvel's license offerings related to video.
News categories: Sisvel, Davide Ferri, Digital TV, DVB-S2, Licensing, Patent, Worldwide

ADB integrates Netflix on second STB for Canal+ Platforma
Apr 29, 2020 – ADB has completed a second Netflix integration for Canal+ Platforma, on the operator's UltraBOX+ platform supplied by ADB. It follows a December 2019 implementation performed on the first edition of UltraBOX+.
News categories: Advanced Digital Broadcast, Canal+ Platforma, Jacek Galik, Jarosław Kordalewski, Apps, Digital TV, Poland, Satellite, Set Top Box, Streaming

Forthnet owners negotiating its sale to United Group
Apr 28, 2020 – Nomura has notified Forthnet of the commencement of exclusive negotiations with United Group on a proposal that United has submitted to the banks NBG, Alpha, Piraeus and Attica Bank aimed at the execution of documents for a transaction.
News categories: Forthnet, United Group, Digital TV, Greece, MandA, Satellite

Dish TV India offers VOD content with MX Player app
Apr 27, 2020 – Dish TV India has announced that it has partnered with MX Player to offer video-on-demand content to its customers. DishTV and d2h users can access MX Player’s content through their Android Set-top-Boxes.
News categories: MX Player, Dish TV India, Abhishek Joshi, Anil Dua, Android TV, Apps, Digital TV, India, Satellite, Set Top Box, Streaming