CTH to spend Bt1 bn to acquire new TV shows

Cable Thai Holdings (CTH), a group of more than 300 local cable TV operators, has earmarked Bt1 billion to acquire foreign media rights and production of its own content this year to lure new subscribers after its relaunch next month.

"There are negotiations under way with international media and entertainment companies for a number of TV programmes to be imported throughout this year. CTH is spending at least Bt1 billion on this," chief executive officer Kittsanan Ngamphatipong said yesterday.

Audio-visual broadcasting rights to the English Premier League (EPL) for the coming three seasons were not included in this investment, he added.

CTH yesterday announced a partnership with Hong Kong-based Celestial Tiger Entertainment to add three exclusive channels - Kix, Thrill and Celestial Classic Movies - to its cable TV network.

Kix channel will offer action entertainment programmes. Thrill channel has popular Hollywood and Asian films and well-known reality shows, particularly for the horror and thriller segments of the audience. Meanwhile, Celestial Classic Movies will bring the best Chinese classic movies produced from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Todd Miller, president and CEO of Celestial Tiger Entertainment, said it aimed to expand its audience through this partnership with CTH, which already has a strong subscription base in the Kingdom.

Kittsanan declined to comment on how much CTH had spent on this collaboration with its Hong Kong business partner.

Celestial Tiger Entertainment is a joint venture among Saban Capital Group, a leading US private investment firm; Astro, an owner and operator of a leading direct-to-home entertainment platform in Malaysia; and Lionsgate, the largest independent film and entertainment studio.

During the trial launch in February, CTH's 3.5 million subscribers will get new set-top boxes connected with newly installed fibre-optic lines. These customers will be able to access 120 channels, including 20 in high definition.

To achieve its target of 2 million more EPL-package customers on top of its 3.5 million current customers, Kittsanan said the company would spend another Bt200 million on marketing activities and promotions throughout the country this year. The details of the promotional price for the soccer-tournament package will be soon announced.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/01/26/cth-to-spend-bt1-bn-to-acquire-new-tv-shows/