Viasat Explorer to launch in Eastern Europe

net1

Modern Times Group MTG AB, the international media group, will launch the Viasat Explorer pay-TV channel in Russia, the three Baltic states, Moldova, Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria on 1st November. Viasat Explorer is expected to already have approximately 300,000 subscribers at the time of launch into these new territories through existing agreements with local cable TV distributors.

This is the first time that MTG's Viasat Broadcasting has entered the Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian markets. The launch means that Viasat Explorer now has approximately 723,000 subscribers, including its already existing base of 423,000 subscribers in Scandinavia.

The decision to launch Viasat Explorer in Eastern Europe follows the successful launch of Viasat's popular premium movie channel TV1000 in the region earlier this year. By the end of the second quarter, TV1000 had over 1 million subscribers, having acquired 584,000 new subscribers in Eastern Europe in 2003 in addition to its existing 441,000 subscribers in Scandinavia.

Viasat Explorer is one of 20 successful channels produced by Viasat Broadcasting. The channel features an entertaining combination of travel and exploration programming, including wildlife and natural world documentaries, extreme sports coverage and true crime series.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented:

"This is the latest move in the ongoing expansion of our broadcasting business into the exciting Eastern European markets. TV1000 and Viasat Explorer will already have close to one million paying households in the region less than a year after launch, which demonstrates the scale and potential of these territories".


Source: MTG AB

Miladinovic

Viasat Explorer
Viasat History
Viasat tv1000
Playboy

In Serbia (started last month)