SPI International Expands & Diversifies

SPI International was formed in 1990 in New York as an international film distribution company partnering with film studios for theatrical and in-home viewing releases. This successful part of SPI International’s business still has a strong presence in Central European markets, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary.

Building on its initial success, SPI has expanded its business to include TV broadcasting and cable-channel ownership, as well as distribution of TV content. Its FilmBox family of channels is currently available on almost all platforms across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

As movies remain SPI International’s core business, the company has developed an array of film channels to suit every taste: from the kid-friendly FilmBox Family and FilmBox Arthouse for serious film buffs to documentary channel DocuBox HD, the lifestyle-based FashionBox HD and the action-packed Fast&FunBox HD. There’s also the music channel 360TuneBox, martial arts channel FightBox HD and, most recently, the interactive MadscreenBox service. These channels are all currently widely available throughout CEE. FightBox, FashionBox, DocuBox, Fast&FunBox, 360TuneBox, FilmBox Arthouse and MadscreenBox are also available for worldwide distribution.

“We’re making our first foray into 4K entertainment, but the industry needs to agree on one standard before we offer linear Ultra HD content,” notes Berk Uziyel, the executive director of FilmBox International. “We’ve just launched MadscreenBox, a family channel with interactive games, developed with the growing use of second screen in mind. As of now, it’s offered in HD and SD, but we’ll be ready to roll out the 4K version soon after standardization takes place. Our next offering will be exclusively 4K; 4KFunBox will run some interactive content but also documentaries and music events, all in glorious ultra high definition. Again, we need an industry-wide standard to make it happen.”

VOD is another area of focus for the company as it plots its growth path. SPI’s ever-growing library enables the company to provide partner VOD platforms with video content, but SPI has also developed its own SVOD platform, FilmBox Live. FilmBox Live is distributed as a subscription-based web service, mobile and smart TV app, and as a feature on partner OTT networks.

With SPI’s vast library, it is critical for the company to offer content directly to viewers using VOD to improve the flexibility and quality of the viewer’s experience. FilmBox Live seamlessly integrates on-demand access to movies and TV shows with live streaming of SPI’s linear channels. Subscribers can choose their entertainment by browsing the library or opting for the curated content organized into channels. In the U.S., SPI will be launching FilmBox Live as a unique, boutique SVOD service with arthouse and independent films.

SPI International is also ramping up its content-distribution business by constantly acquiring new prime-time content. In the near future, expect to see new announcements regarding deals with majors and independents for their channels, says Uziyel. “We will secure fresh and attractive content for all the different movie channels in the FilmBox portfolio and also for Stopklatka TV, Poland’s first free-to-air movie channel. SPI is a global content distributor with a worldwide channel lineup and is across almost all of the major pay-TV and free-TV networks across Central and Eastern Europe.”

SPI has added West Africa to its worldwide channel distribution lineup. SPI channels are now available through Nigeria’s Montage Cable Network and ConSat covering the entire region (Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast and other countries). SPI International also launched its full spectrum of channels in Seychelles and Tanzania. This summer, SPI International started distributing its channels in Ukraine. SPI is currently negotiating to add the Balkans to its global network.

Looking ahead, there’s more growth on the horizon for SPI International. In Europe, SPI will continue to increase its subscriber base in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary while the company also continues its worldwide expansion into Africa and the Middle East. SPI has also started to significantly increase PR activity to build brand awareness in Romania and Hungary.