MTG Launches 4 Pay-TV Channels in Africa

Modern Times Group MTG AB , the international entertainment broadcasting group, Friday last week announced that it will launch four pay-TV channels in Africa on 28 February. Viasat History, Viasat Nature, Viasat Explorer and Viasat Crime will initially be made available to satellite pay-TV subscribers in Nigeria and cable pay-TV subscribers in Kenya.

The channels are localised versions of Viasat Broadcasting's existing thematic documentary channels. Three of the channels are currently available in 29 countries across Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Viasat Crime is available in the Nordic region. Each channel will be broadcast 12 hours per day, with Viasat History and Viasat Nature sharing one satellite feed, and Viasat Explorer and Viasat Crime sharing another. Distribution agreements have initially been signed with the HiTV and Infinity TV satellite networks in Nigeria, and with cable network operator Zuku in Kenya.

Viasat History is a documentary channel with a broad range of high quality, award-winning history programmes, biopics, period dramas and popular culture shows. Viasat Nature features inspiring content for the family including animal rescue, and wildlife experts and celebrities on their fascinating journeys. Viasat Explorer is a male skewed entertaining factual channel with thrilling sports, science, travel and adventure formats from around the world. Viasat Crime carries a mixture of unsolved crime and mystery investigations, as well as programmes about police work, criminal masterminds and daring heists.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented: “The launch of four of our documentary channels in Africa is the latest example of our strategy to launch tried and tested formats in new territories. Our intention is to make our channels as broadly available as possible in these rapidly developing TV markets and economies. We already have a free-TV operation in Ghana in West Africa, and look forward to developing our presence in the sub-Saharan region of Africa moving forward.”


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