Proper survey done for Viasat1

It is the first proper survey done for Viasat1, our first African free-to-air TV channel which was launched in Ghana just over a year ago. It needed to be done as Ghana doesn’t have the kind of television audience measurement as we are used to from our other free-TV operations across Northern, Central & Eastern Europe.

When I read the survey I get proud of what our Ghanaian team has achieved in such a short time, even if the survey is only done in the four largest cities, Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Takoradi. According to Synovate, a US based research organisation who performed the survey, 28 per cent said they watched Viasat1 the most during a week, followed by Metro TV with 27 per cent.

We know we have programme content – including English Premier League, top movies and top series and a picture and sound quality – is superior to our competitors. According to Ghanaian authorities, 74.9 per cent in the country have access to Viasat1. We have built the channel from scratch. Enjoy the picture of the best of Viasat1′s sales people, together with me and Rune Skogeng, our Norwegian CEO, when they all visited the Swedish archipelago last summer for MTG Awards.

 

Hans-Holger Albrecht

Viasat on Demand

We call it “Entertainment at your command” and believe strongly that it’s the answer to the continuously asked question “Where is the future of television?”

We all know that the viewing of both free-TV and pay-TV will change. It is changing as I write this. The days when a TV channel could decide when – and where – someone should watch its programmes are ending, of course with the exception of breaking news and live sports events.

Our solution in our territories is Viasat OnDemand. We have rolled it out in the Nordic region.

Sweden is at the forefront of our venture. We have added play services – both online and to subscribers of our satellite TV platform. The latter use their ViasatPlus box, which has a broadband connection. TV programmes, of broadcast quality, even HD, are reaching the screen via the internet by using a progressive download technology.

On the free-TV side, we’ve not only got play services for our own main channels (TV3, TV6 and TV8) but we also offer SVT Play, from the public service broadcaster, and TV4 Play, from the commercial broadcasting group. Together these play services represent channels with a share of viewing of 70% in Sweden.

The development from streaming our own channels online is stunning. Last year we had fewer than 10,000 video views per week. During the first quarter of 2009, the figure had increased to 100,000 video views per week; then in the second quarter it was up to 500,000 per week. For the last three weeks we have had 1,000,000 video views per week.

For pay-TV the OnDemand service is just as important. If you are a subscriber to our movie channels, you need to be able to choose when to see the films that are available this month at a time of your choice. We have TV1000 Play, TV1000 HD Play, Viasat Explorer Play and Viasat History Play for our subscribers, available through their box, without the need to utilise the record function.

For sports it’s also important. We are witnessing the move of important premium sport events from free-TV to pay-TV (we are part of that development ourselves). Live streaming, on a pay per event basis, has become the hottest part of our Viasat OnDemand online portal, from UEFA Champions League to Formula One and NHL. Myself, I’m happy because I know I can follow my favourite team Bayern Munich (with two wins in two matches, we’re leading Group A in the Champions League).

Hans-Holger Albrecht