TV providers turn focus to content
Leading entertainment companies GMM Grammy and RS are now strengthening their satellite TV platforms by offering exclusive content while TrueVisions, the largest subscription-based TV operator, will next week offer non-premium packages targeting the mass
"It’s clear that content is king to lure new customers and retain existing customers," Thana Thienachariya, chief executive officer of GMM Z, the satellite-broadcasting unit of GMM Grammy, said yesterday.
After the Euro 2012 soccer tournament ended early this month, GMM Z is scheduling special programmes including live broadcasts of exclusive events such as 12 local concerts and shows, six world sports leagues and tournaments and 72 television programmes imported from around the world.
To improve programming on its four special channels – GMM Z Hits, GMM Z Theatre, GMM Z Genius and GMM Z Sports – the company has appointed film-maker Pantham Thongsang as deputy managing director for entertainment content, Roongtham Poomsinil as director of GMM Z Hits and GMM Z Theatre, and theatre and film director Ekachai Uekrongtham as executive adviser for content management.
GMM Z Hits will be positioned as a free TV channel like ThaiTV3, Channel 7 and Modernine TV, which provide a diverse array of programmes. The company is investing Bt100 million in locally produced shows this year.
If the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission grants licences to digital terrestrial TV operators, the company will make GMM Z Hits a free-to-air terrestrial channel.
It will offer a prepaid service to registered customers who want to access pay-TV content on its 10 special channels via GMM Z satellite TV receivers. For example, the package that costs Bt300 monthly offers five or six sports channels, while the Bt200 package offers four entertainment channels.
The upcoming pay-TV services will be run by GMM Z, which is also the trader and distributor of satellite TV set-top boxes under the same name.
After enjoying sales of 800,000 set-top boxes during the recent Euro 2012 soccer tournament, GMM Z aims to sell 1 million more boxes by year-end and to have 4 million boxes in use in three years.
Early this month, RS launched its pay-TV service offering live broadcasts of Spain’s La Liga. RS obtained the rights to the soccer league for three seasons starting this year. Access to this service on the RS Sport La Liga pay-TV channel is via Sunbox, RS’s satellite-TV set-top box.
Pornpan Techarungchaikul, chief operating officer of RS, said the company expected to gain 500,000 subscribers from the first season of La Liga broadcasts.
Anat Mekpaiboonvatana, managing director of TrueVisions, said that this year’s strategy would focus on enhancing content and services, such as high-definition TV and better-fidelity sound.
The new packages coming out next week will be for mass customers, including its 1 million free-view customers. TrueVisions has 500,000 subscribers to its Platinum, Gold, Gold Lite and Silver premium packages and 500,000 subscribers to its Knowledge package.
