HBO (international)

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HBO (Home Box Office), which was originally established as a premium cable television channel in the United States, has expanded worldwide. Since 1991, HBO has overseen a number of partnerships that operate HBO-branded programming networks around the world. As HBO was launched in new markets, the brand has been used in several countries.

While in some countries, it operates on a subscription-based model akin to that of the U.S. service, in others it is offered as a basic cable channel. This article focuses on other HBO channels outside of the United States, including channels that do not carry the HBO branding to which the channel has major program distribution agreements.[1] Eventually, there will be brief histories on each of the international channels, describing any regionally available programming and each service's development.

The Americas

Brazil

HBO Brasil was launched in 1991 by TVA, Time Warner and Sony as an analogue pay channel, but using over-the-air UHF frequencies and broadcasting for nine hours each day. After the Brazilian financial crisis of the late 1990s, TVA sold its share in the service to Time Warner.

Canada

On October 30, 2008, HBO Canada launched as a multiplex channel of the Canadian movie services Movie Central and The Movie Network. The channel is owned as a joint venture between The Movie Network's owner Astral Media (which distributes the channel in Eastern Canada, though Bell Media is in the process of acquiring TMN and Astral's share of HBO Canada through a takeover of Astral Media)[2] and Movie Central's owner Corus Entertainment (which distributes the channel in Western Canada). Outside of the required brand licensing by Astral and Corus to use the HBO trademarks and logo, Time Warner does not own HBO Canada and has no ownership stake in the network. The channel carries HBO's original programming (though some programs featured on the network also includes programs that air in the United States on HBO's rival Showtime, through rights agreements between TMN and Movie Central with U.S. pay channels). It also airs a selection of Canadian films and series to satisfy Canadian content requirements.

On February 27, 2013, HBO Canada launched HBO GO Canada, a website and mobile app for the iPad and iPhone to The Movie Network subscribers of Bell TV, Bell Fibe TV and Cogeco Cable; the service features streaming program content available in standard or high definition, including original programming produced domestically by HBO Canada and acquired from HBO U.S. and its sister service Cinemax, along with movies, comedy specials, documentaries and sports programming.[3]

The Caribbean

HBO Caribbean offers English-language broadcasts of HBO material geared towards the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. HBO set up the channel to replace the Spanish foreign-language feed which formerly served the English-speaking Caribbean market. The cable-TV systems of Columbus Communications, Cable Bahamas, and Multi-Choice TV (among others) sell HBO Caribbean.

Asia

Main article: HBO (Asia)

HBO Asia was originally co-owned by UIP Pay TV, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Time Warner and SingTel.

Latin America

HBO Latin America (originally known as HBO OLÉ) originated as a partnership between Venezuelan broadcaster Omnivisión and HBO, with Sony and The Walt Disney Company later joining the partnership. Omnivisión eventually sold its share to Time Warner.

Europe

United Kingdom & Ireland

In February 2011, Sky Atlantic launched on the Sky platform in the United Kingdom and Ireland, which maintains a distribution deal with HBO to offer the majority of its programming on the channel. Under the five-year agreement between HBO and Sky, newer HBO programs will air on Sky Atlantic before airing on other television channels within the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Netherlands

In February 2012, HBO Netherlands launched on cable television provider Ziggo as part of a three-channel service with original programs from HBO broadcasting on a one-day delay from the United States. HBO GO was also made available to subscribers of the service. As of March 2013, HBO Netherlands is currently available to subscribers of Ziggo, KPN, UPC, XS4ALL, Telfort, fibre providers Glashart Media and Vodafone Glasvezel and satellite broadcaster CanalDigitaal.

Eastern Europe

HBO Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Macedonia).

Nordic region

On August 15, 2012, HBO announced plans to launch HBO Nordic, a multiplatform video distribution service serving Scandinavia and Finland, created through a joint venture with Parsifal International.[4][5]The video on demand service launched in December 2012.[6]

Adria region

HBO Adria (Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Montenegro, as part of HBO Europe).

Oceania

Australia

In 2012, through a licensed distribution arrangement with subscription TV provider Foxtel, the Showcase channel airs original HBO programming in Australia. an Australian premium television service that launched in 1995. Prior to this, limited HBO content was aired through the now defunct Movie Network Channels which was founded by HBO (through Time Warner), Village Roadshow, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Disney-ABC International Television.

New Zealand

Sky Movies (New Zealand) was originally a joint-venture between HBO and Sky Network Television. The channel was renamed HBO in 1993, but Time Warner sold its share to Sky in 1998 and was renamed back to Sky Movies.

International on-demand services

In 2005, the HBO Mobile wireless service launched via Vodafone in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and South Africa, and via SK Telecom in Korea in 2006. In 2006, HBO's subscription video-on-demand service HBO On Demand launched in Israel on HOT, marking the first standalone HBO service to be offered outside the United States. The service launched in the United Kingdom in 2007 via BT Vision, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media, and then rolled out to Cyprus in 2008 through PrimeTv of PrimeTel Ltd.

References

  1. ↑ About HBO: HBO International
  2. ↑ Astral and Bell Comment on New Acquisition Application to CRTC, Broadcaster Magazine, March 6, 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Movie Network Launches Three Video Streaming Services". Broadcaster Magazine. February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013. 
  4. ↑ HBO and 20th Century Fox renew output deal, Los Angeles Times, August 15, 2012.
  5. ↑ Netflix, HBO to battle for Nordic viewers, Reuters, August 16, 2012.
  6. ↑ HBO Nordic Underwhelms Early Adopters, ArcticStartup, January 8, 2013.

External links

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