MIPCOM Spotlight: SPI International

Part of the SPI International bouquet, Gametoon is a new eSports and gaming channel for millennials.

The company also has FunBox UHD, a worldwide entertainment channel with native Ultra HD programming, and FightBox HD, a flagship sports channel with live MMA events from Europe and the U.S., as well as other martial arts disciplines from major international leagues. “All these channels are part of SPI’s worldwide TV portfolio, and they are available for distribution anywhere in the world—for delivery via satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile TV, etc.,” says Berk Uziyel, SPI/FILMBOX’s executive director. “In many cases, they also come with multiple language versions: Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian and more.”

SPI is looking to emphasize its achievements and new developments in Ultra HD channel and content distribution, Uziyel says. “Our main goal for MIPCOM is to develop new partnerships, strengthen our existing ones and make important alliances.”

SPI International operates a bouquet of movie channels in Europe under the brand FilmBox. “These channels air a variety of films and TV series, including major international productions from the world’s top suppliers,” says Berk Uziyel, SPI/FILMBOX’s executive director. “Recently, we entered a partnership with Saradan Media to co-produce a new TV series starring Steven Seagal.” He adds, “The Oscar-winning musical hit La La Land is the most anticipated movie premiere this fall on SPI’s FilmBox Premium HD channel in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”

Two movie channels from the FilmBox brand have changed their names in Poland. The flagship FilmBox channel became Kino TV, while FilmBox Premium switched to FilmBox Premium HD. “The channels’ profiles remain unchanged,” says Uziyel. “The objective of this rebranding is to emphasize the programming offer and the diversity of the FilmBox channel portfolio as well as to make it easier for the viewers to navigate through the FilmBox offer.”

SPI International/FILMBOX recently inked distribution deals with Etisalat and Ooredoo in Qatar to introduce FunBox UHD as the first Ultra HD linear channel in the region. “As a big step to increase end-user satisfaction and provide a better service, we’ve localized and continue to localize our content into the Arabic language as well as French,” says Uziyel, touting the company’s latest developments in the Middle East and North Africa. “In MENA, we are not only serving our channels via satellite but also via various platforms.”

SPI’s bouquet available in Africa includes the thematic channels FightBox; Gametoon; Glitz Network, an entertainment and lifestyle destination; and DocuBox, which features factual content in the areas of wildlife, science, travel and more.

SPI International has a number of channels from its bouquet present across Asia. FightBox features the best MMA and martial arts programming from all over the world, while FashionBox showcases inspirational, educational and entertaining content focused on shopping, lifestyle and fashion trends. DocuBox is dedicated to programming that explores the mysteries and beauty of the planet. Fast&FunBox is a channel that spotlights the most extreme sports worldwide. Also available in Asia are FilmBox Art House, 360TuneBox and Gametoon.

“In the Asian region, we are now delivering our channels via satellite, so we are ready to expand distribution into more countries in order to meet the end-users’ needs with our versatile linear channels,” says Uziyel. “We are ready to expand distribution into more countries.”