Digital TV stations gain Bt11 bn revenue
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THE 22 terrestrial digital TV stations have generated Bt11.34 billion revenue in the second year of operation, according to a source at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.
BEC-Multimedia’s Channel 33HD was at the very top with Bt1.80 billion in revenue, while Nation TV headed the news category.
Channel 33HD simulcasts analog programmes from Channel 3, which is run by its sister company Bangkok Entertainment Company under a concession from MCOT.
BEC and BBTV revenue drops
According to the Business Development Department of the Commerce Ministry, Bangkok Entertainment Co reported a drop in revenue of 7.3 per cent to Bt9.72 billion last year.
BEC-Multimedia also operates two other digital TV channels – 3SD and 3 Family.
Combining revenues from BEC-Multimedia’s three digital TV networks, the company made Bt2.21 billion. Channel 3SD made Bt276.36 million while 3Family made Bt140.5 million.
Ranked second in revenue, Thai Broadcasting, the operator of Workpoint TV, showed total revenue of Bt1.70 billion last year.
In third was Bangkok Broadcasting and Television (BBTV), the operator of Channel 7HD , whose revenue incurred in the digital terrestrial TV system reached Bt1.70 billion.
Channel 7HD simulcast analog TV programmes from Channel 7, whose concession is from the Army. Therefore, the revenue from the digital terrestrial TV system is partly allocated from Channel 7.
According to the Business Development Department, BBTV made Bt7.19 billion, down 31.5 per cent from 2014.
After the top 3 came RS Channel 8 with revenue of Bt820 million and GMM Grammy’s One 31 with Bt780 million revenue.
GMM Grammy also runs another digital TV channel, GMM 25, which contributed revenue of Bt402.02 million last year.
The leading music and entertainment firm counted revenue of Bt1.180 billion from its digital TV business.
Among other leading TV stations, Mono Broadcast, the operator of Mono 29, had Bt627.93 million.
Under True Corporation, True4U Station – the operator of the True4U digital TV channel – was responsible for Bt585.42 million revenue, while its sister company Thai News Network (TNN24 news station) came up with Bt378.24 million, giving True Corp total revenue of Bt963.66 million from its digital TV operation.
Triple V Broadcast, the operator of Thairath TV, reported revenue of Bt478.77 million for 2015.
For Nation Multimedia Group, revenue at Nation TV, run by NBC Next Vision, was Bt404.73 million last year, and at Bangkok Business Broadcasting, the operator of Now26, was Bt334.59 million.
NMG total revenue
That gave NMG total revenue of Bt739.32 million from its digital TV business.
State-owned media enterprise MCOT reported total revenue of Bt217.21 million, consisting of Bt192.87 million from MCOT HD and Bt24.34 million from MCOT Family.
MCOT HD simulcasts analog TV programmes from Modernine TV.
Springnews Television, the operator of Springnews TV, generated Bt192.25 million revenue. Bangkok Media and Broadcasting, the operator of PPTV, made Bt151.74 million.
Bright TV had Bt113.19 million, Voice TV Bt108.38 million and Amarin TV Bt98.89 million.
The second year did not appear to be a good one for DN Broadcast, as its New TV reaped just Bt67.13 million in revenue.
Triluj Navamarat, chairman of the Media Agency Association of Thailand, said that in the case of digital TV, growth in advertising spending appeared to lag viewership.
However, in the near future, advertising budgets would be in line with the viewer base.
According to Nielsen, the penetration of digital TV viewers in April was 46 per cent of 23 million households.
The remaining 54 per cent were still glued to traditional TV.
