Vodafone TV launches its own channels and a new platform in the Czech Republic
T-Mobile introduced significant innovations in its television service at the end of last year , followed a few months later by the PPF group (O2 and Nova) with its Oneplay , and now it is the turn of the Vodafone operator . Like Oneplay or the French Canal+, it has decided to introduce its own brand of thematic channels.
According to information from MediaGuru.cz, Vodafone is to launch three programs under its own brand for now. The first two of the channels drawing on the video library have just been launched – the Vodafone Comedy channel at position 42 and the Vodafone CZ SK channel at position 43. The third channel started at position 22 under the name Vodafone Family . Starmax is responsible for the content side , while Tivio is responsible for the technical solution . This is a continuation of cooperation with long-standing partners. For example, Tivio recently offered Vodafone a technical solution for the special StarHouse program for the Prima TV reality show of the same name . The operator then placed the exclusive product in the EPG at program position 0.
Vodafone is venturing into hybrid channels
The pioneer of bonus channels among operators was the Internet service Sweet.tv , which expanded to the Czech Republic several years ago from Ukraine. The advantage of these stations is that anyone can watch them, even a viewer who is not a direct customer. Sweet.tv has already exceeded four dozen free bonus channels, including, for example, all Czech Television stations or some programs without localization.
Vodafone offers its customers so-called hybrid programs that combine classic television broadcasting with Internet functions, such as rewinding, a video library or the ability to watch on various devices. In Vodafone's case, these are not bonus channels, but a hybrid model that combines traditional television content with modern online functions. At the beginning, viewers are currently shown a promo for the operator's services.
Magenta TV also "sells" content from the video library
"We have found something that we call synthetic channels to be effective. It is not a TV station in the true sense of the word, because it is not a rebroadcast, but a playlist from a video library that is displayed in the program guide. The station looks like a TV program, but it is our composition of on-demand programs that we show to customers. When the viewer clicks on the program, they see that they are already in the VOD environment and that the content is playing from the video library," Daniela Zahradníková , head of television content at the operator T-Mobile, recently described in an interview for Digitalk how the Cinema program position works in Magenta TV .
The content offered in this form can teach viewers how to use the video library and make it easier for them to enter the world of pay television. This will of course be welcomed especially by older audiences, who have so far been used to using, for example, only the basic offer of free terrestrial broadcasting. Exclusive channels have been offered to their customers for many years by the operator O2 Czech Republic , or now the PPF group , which withdrew from the long-standing brand O2 TV Sport and this year introduced the new brand Oneplay Sport . Oneplay is now also associated with the service itself and the Oneplay Original titles .
New Vodafone TV environment
Vodafone TV should also get a facelift, as follows from a press release from 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) . Vodafone Group has chosen 3SS and its 3Ready platform to create a new generation of user experience across all markets where Vodafone TV operates - including the Czech Republic. The new platform will bring better personalization, easier addition of content from various sources, including third-party applications, such as Netflix . Thanks to 3Ready, it will be possible to innovate faster and offer users a unified experience across devices and operating systems. The transition to this platform will affect millions of customers in seven European countries.
The new platform not only offers scalability, but also the ability to manage content, features and branding in real time from a single location through the 3Ready Control Center. Users will be able to better tailor their Vodafone TV experience across all devices to their needs and preferences. This will give super-aggregators like Vodafone a competitive advantage by offering a personalized experience for different user segments across all screens. The change is seen as a major step towards the future of entertainment, where users can curate their own content offerings.
