Channels offered by German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF are now available on the internet TV platform Zattoo. Through the free service, internet users in Germany can receive a total of 24 main channels, regional services, joint channels and digital channels compiled by ARD and ZDF as live-streams on their computers without an antenna, cable connection or satellite dish. Additionally, 10 radio services from ARD will be offered, with more to follow.
Access is gained via the Zattoo software which can be downloaded under
www.zattoo.com. The Swiss-American platform offered only commercial German broadcasters until now, as well as foreign TV channels. ARD and ZDF have agreed with Zattoo on a one year distribution test period during which the broadcasters aim to gain experience of new distribution modes.
The broadcasters are hoping to reach younger viewers through Zattoo, who increasingly view TV content through their computers. In Germany Zattoo has more than 280,000 registered users, with over 1.9 million users throughout Europe.
Source: Rapid TV News