Outdoor Channel Scores New Asian Carriage

LOS ANGELES/SINGAPORE: Outdoor Channel is set to roll out in Taiwan and Vietnam, via new carriage agreements clinched by Multi Channels Asia, a Singapore-based venture that represents, distributes and owns a number of thematic pay-TV channels across Asia Pacific.

In Taiwan, Multi Channels Asia has secured a deal with China Satellite Television (CSTV), bringing Outdoor Channel to the iTITV Golden Package on Chung Hwa Telecom IPTV and to SkyNet DTH. At launch, Outdoor Channel will reach 300,000 households, fully subtitled in Chinese. In Vietnam, Outdoor Channel will be one of the first HD services on a new DTH platform to be launched by VTC Multimedia Corporation. These deals add to pre-launch carriage and distribution commitments in Korea, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.

William (Billy) Kelly, managing director for the U.S. at Multi Channels Asia, said, “These latest carriage agreements are a tremendous vote of confidence in Outdoor Channel and the outdoor entertainment genre. With pay TV penetration at over 90 percent, Taiwan is vital to the success of any new pay TV channel and we are pleased to secure an entry point via CSTV and their IPTV and DTH packages. Emerging markets such as Vietnam may be at the other end of the pay TV penetration scale but it’s a rapid growth market and Outdoor Channel is now ideally positioned to participate in that growth.

Multi Channels Asia was launched by Kelly and Gregg Creevey. It owns and operates Outdoor Channel (Asia), Lotus Channel (Asia) and represents Granada TV and Al Jazeera English, among others.