17 เมษยน 2556 คาด CTH เป็นช่องปกติ เดือนละ 300 บาท (ส่วนใครจะดูPremier Leagueเพิ่มอีก100-400ลบ.) แถมได้คุย TOT เดินหน้า fibre-optic network

ประเด็นหลัก

CTH's members currently have 2.2 million subscribers, of whom half are in Bangkok and half upcountry.

The new package will offer 120 channels, including 30 in high definition (HD), versus 16 analog channels in the present package. The package will grow to 150 channels next year and eventually 500.

CTH has already secured some 70 foreign programmes and is in talks with local content providers for similar deals.

A source at TOT said CTH was in talks for the telecom agency to connect the homes of subscribers with its fibre-optic network on a revenue-sharing basis, starting with 300,000 homes this year.

Kittsanan claimed that CTH, which last year won the rights to broadcast English Premier League soccer matches during the next three seasons in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, has already clinched many sponsorship deals for the EPL programmes and related activities. However, he declined to identify them.

An industry source said CTH had also approached Advanced Info Service, one giant Japanese carmaker and one beverage company for sponsorships related to the EPL matches.

CTH's members charge subscribers Bt300 a month on average for a basic package. To view the EPL matches, they will have to buy the EPL package on the top of basic package for Bt100-Bt400 a month, depending on the number of matches. The EPL packages are expected to be available in June.

CTH is reportedly in talks with free-TV operators to broadcast 17 selected matches out of the total of 380 per year, in line with CTH's contract with the EPL. The negotiations are expected to be finalised this month.

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Consortium plans new TV package with 120 channels

Usanee Mongkolporn

Cable Thai Holdings, a consortium of about 300 operators, is ready to launch a vastly expanded cable-TV package to boost its subscribers to 4 million this year.

CTH's members currently have 2.2 million subscribers, of whom half are in Bangkok and half upcountry.

The new package will offer 120 channels, including 30 in high definition (HD), versus 16 analog channels in the present package. The package will grow to 150 channels next year and eventually 500.

CTH has already secured some 70 foreign programmes and is in talks with local content providers for similar deals.

CTH acts as a hub feeding content to its members, which repackage these programmes and sell them to their subscribers.

However, it remains to be seen whether all households will be able to access all 120 channels, since CTH might not be able to connect their homes completely this year with a high-tech network to replace the existing cable network, to bring them full HD and high-quality channels.

"This is the problem we've experienced, but we're confident that we can manage it," said chief executive officer Kittsanan Ngamphatipong.

A source at TOT said CTH was in talks for the telecom agency to connect the homes of subscribers with its fibre-optic network on a revenue-sharing basis, starting with 300,000 homes this year.

An industry source said CTH had also approached Advanced Info Service, one giant Japanese carmaker and one beverage company for sponsorships related to the EPL matches.

CTH has already distributed 300,000 set-top boxes to subscribers to receive these 120 channels. It is expected to finish distributing the units to all existing subscribers and an estimated 2 million new subscribers this year. The subscribers will be required to sign up for a one-year contract.

This year the company plans to spend about Bt1 billion on acquiring content and Bt7 billion on expanding the network and procuring set-top boxes.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Consortium-plans-new-TV-package-with-120-channels-30204073.html