TRACE Group Channels Expand into Southeast Europe & Africa

LONDON: TRACE Group, a brand and multimedia company focusing on music and sports celebrities, has inked deals that will see its offerings expand into Southeastern Europe and Africa.

A carriage deal with telecommunications outfit United Group will see TRACE Sport Stars, a channel dedicated to sports celebrities, made available to more than 20,000 European subscribers. The signal will be available through SBB in Serbia and versions of Telemach in Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“One of our top priorities has always been offering a diverse array of channels to our users, which is why we are constantly searching for interesting content that we can add to our network,” said Suzana Radošević, the director of the content management department. “The unique concept of the TRACE Sport Stars channel appealed to us, and we are very excited that the local audience will now have a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of world-famous athletes. We believe that the channel will interest a large number of our users, and we look forward to providing them with quality entertainment through this collaboration.”

Laurent Dumeau, the CEO of TRACE Sport Stars, added: “Launching on United Group’s platforms across South-Eastern Europe for the first time is a significant step for TRACE Sport Stars global expansion. Development in key Central and Eastern European countries, one of the fastest growing markets in Europe for the pay-TV industry is a priority for the TRACE group. We are delighted to be entering this competitive market with United Group and have no doubts that our sports entertainment programming will broaden the traditional channel offer across the region.”

In Africa, TRACE Group has extended its deal with pay-TV operator TVCABO in Angola and Mozambique. The new partnership renews a carriage agreement for hip-hop channel TRACE Urban, and also brings in TRACE Sport Starts and a French-language feed for TRACE URBAN.

“The two new channels will answer even more effectively and in a diversified way to our viewers’ preferences, reinforcing the music, lifestyle and urban culture proposals with TRACE Urban, and reinforcing the sports proposals with TRACE Sport Stars, which is devoted exclusively to the life of famous athletes,” said João Botelho, TVCABO’s administrator.

Dumeau commented: “We are excited to be extending our footprint even further in Africa. With an ever-increasing demand for the TRACE brand in African regions and for unique sport, entertainment and music programming, we are confident this agreement will help TVCABO strengthen their position in the Angolan and Mozambican markets by delivering engaging and exciting content to their growing subscriber base.”