MEDITERRANEAN
The NetMed subscriber base reached 362 000 by 31 March 2008, built largely on a strong sport offering. This includes broadcasting the matches of ten of the 16 Greek football teams and securing the rights to the Euro 2008 football championship.
In October 2007 new programme packages were launched, consisting of four tiers ranging in price from €29,50 to €57. Three content-supply agreements were signed with internet protocol television (IPTV) operators as part of the strategy to make programming available on all transmission platforms.
The call centre won a bronze medal in the national Teleperformance Hellas competition and the marketing team took two silver Ermis awards and one gold Ermis prize during the year for its marketing campaigns.
Following a review of Naspers’s investment priorities, MIH entered into a conditional agreement with ForthNet SA, a leading Greek telecommunications company, to sell NetMed. The transaction is expected to close later this year.
MOBILE TELEVISION
A new joint venture company, DMtv, was incorporated to roll out mobile television services on the African continent. Licences were secured in several African countries.
During the year under review, commercial mobile television services were launched in Nigeria, Kenya and Namibia in cooperation with local operators. These allow consumers to receive a special television bouquet including international and local channels from each country on their mobile phones.
Commercial digital video broadband-handheld (DVB-H) licences have not yet been awarded in South Africa. In the interim and pending the awarding of these licences, a mobile TV trial service is being funded. Rights for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup were acquired.
MEDIAZONE
This is a development project providing broadband video content to users in various countries.
It currently focuses on sport and international entertainment programming. Highlights of the year include fully interactive coverage of Wimbledon, a comprehensive video-on-demand service supporting the Rugby World Cup and the Chinese new year festival presented in conjunction with CCTV. |
