MTG Expands Presence in Africa

STOCKHOLM: Modern Times Group (MTG) is set to launch Viasat History, Viasat Nature, Viasat Explorer and Viasat Crime in Africa on February 28.

The four channels will initially be made available to satellite pay-TV subscribers in Nigeria and cable pay-TV subscribers in Kenya. These will run as localized versions of Viasat Broadcasting’s existing thematic documentary channels. 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.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, the 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.”