A1 Group, an Austrian telecommunications company, and SPI International, a global media company, have announced a significant expansion of their long-term strategic partnership. This enhanced collaboration aims to revolutionize how content is delivered, distributed, and received throughout Southeast Europe.
The agreement encompasses the technical distribution of all SPI channels across Europe. This includes the distribution of 14 TV channels and SPI's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, FilmBox+. A1 Group will act as the primary technical gateway, handling transcoding, encryption, and satellite uplink services via Eutelsat 16A, a crucial orbital position for broadcasters in the EMEA region.
A1 will continue to provide SPI channels to its subscribers in Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, and North Macedonia. Furthermore, A1 will actively promote SPI's SVOD service to its customer base. "This partnership brings together world-class content and best-in-class technical service – creating a powerhouse for premium TV experiences across the region. A1 will remain SPI’s main technology distribution partner in Europe, ensuring efficient and reliable delivery of content across the region. We are pleased to extend this trusted partnership, which continues to support seamless, high-quality TV experiences for audiences across Europe," stated Elena Petrova, Head of Group Content, Broadcasting & Media Solutions at A1 Group.
The agreement covers SPI's entire linear TV channel portfolio, presenting a wide variety of globally curated entertainment. This includes prominent brands like FilmBox and DIZI, along with numerous thematic channels catering to diverse preferences. The FilmBox brand alone offers six film channels: FilmBox, FilmBox Family, FilmBox Premium, FilmBox Extra, FilmBox Stars, and FilmBox Arthouse. DIZI, another flagship brand, focuses on Turkish drama series. The offering is further enriched by channels such as DocuBox, FashionBox, FastnFunBox, FightBox, FunBox UHD, and Gametoon.
"At SPI International, we believe that great content deserves a great showcase and highlighting. Partnership with A1 Group empowers us to bring our channels and content to audiences with greater efficiency, quality, and scale. At the same time, we’re thrilled to deliver our world-class entertainment offering to even more viewers, with such a strong and innovative regional leader. It’s another key milestone in SPI’s strategy to deliver an accessible and affordable value proposition for audiences, and one we’re truly proud of," commented Erwan Luherne, Managing Director at SPI International.