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The Ukrainian DTH platform Xtra TV lost nearly half its subscribers when it switched from a card system to Verimatrix conditional access.
Speaking to Detector Media and quoted by Media Group Ukraine (MGU), MGU’s director of strategy and development Fedir Grechaninov added that the move had a clear goal, namely the aim of fighting piracy.
However, the company could not find a way of doing this without XtraTV customers having to change equipment.
From a long-term perspective, the move was nevertheless the right decision.
Grechaninov also said that the level of piracy of MGU’s satellite-delivered sports channels is already zero.
Looking to the future, he added that following the encryption of all satellite signal in Ukraine next year, when some 45%, or 2 million, of current free satellite TV viewers are expected to switch to pay-TV, Xtra TV is likely to get half of those who opt for DTH services.
All told, DTH is expected to secure 13% of these new pay-TV customers.
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