Pay TV - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Pay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription

Subscription business model

The subscription business model is a business model where a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service. The model was pioneered by magazines and newspapers, but is now used by many businesses and websites....

-based television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

services, usually provided by both analog

Analog transmission

Analog transmission is a transmission method of conveying voice, data, image, signal or video information using a continuous signal which varies in amplitude, phase, or some other property in proportion to that of a variable...

and digital

Digital television

Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...

cable

Cable television

Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

and satellite

Satellite television

Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...

, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial

Digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...

and internet television

Internet television

Internet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...

. Some parts of the world, notably in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

and the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, have also offered encrypted analog terrestrial signals

Analog transmission

, available for subscription

Subscription business model

Programs

Most premium channels air movies, as well as specials, sporting events and original television series. Unlike those on basic cable, movies that are broadcast on most premium channels are unedited and uninterrupted by television commercials (an example of an exception is IFC

Independent Film Channel

The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...

), as such the films are aired as they were originally released in theaters or on home video; films and original series on premium channels may contain a large amount of profanity, nudity/sexual situations, violence, and other adult content since they are not subject to approval by sponsors.

Some premium channels also broadcast original specials, which most commonly include concert events, documentaries and stand-up comedy acts

Stand-up comedy

Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...

. Sports television programming is also featured on some premium services, in particular HBO and Showtime in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

are both notable for their sports coverage of boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

events; however, specialty pay sports channels do exist such as Setanta Sports

Setanta Sports

Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...

and Fox Soccer Plus

Fox Soccer Plus

Fox Soccer Plus is an American premium channel dedicated to soccer and rugby. It was formed as a spin-off of Fox Soccer when its owner Fox Entertainment Group re-acquired rights from competitor Setanta Sports USA in January 2010, putting the latter channel out of business...

, typically for a significantly higher price than traditional premium services. In addition, channels such as Playboy TV

Playboy TV

Playboy TV is a premium monthly subscription television channel. Since its launch in 1982 in partnership with Cablevision which eventually sold their share back to Playboy, Playboy TV has become a leading entertainment channel for adult entertainment...

and Hustler TV are dedicated to pornographic films

Pornography

Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...

, varying from softcore content to on such channels like The Erotic Network

The Erotic Network

The Erotic Network or TEN is a premium adult pay-per-view service in the United States that is owned by New Frontier Media. TEN operates six full-time PPV channels that are available via cable or satellite as well as a Video on demand channel....

, slightly more hardcore content

Hardcore pornography

Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...

.

Most premium channels air ratings bumpers before each program, containing the film/episode rating (this typically does not apply to live sporting events), since the mid-1980s, additional features included in the television program

Television program

A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

such as closed captioning

Closed captioning

Closed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...

and whether the program is broadcast in stereo

STEREO

STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...

and since the 1990s in the United States, content descriptors

Pay television content descriptors

The Pay television content descriptors give viewers of American pay television services and pay-per-view an idea of the content included in a film or television program...

that describe what is included in the program (such as "MV" for mild violence, "SSC" for strong sexual content, etc.) are also mentioned within these bumpers. While some sports-based pay services do feature commercial advertising (particularly if they simulcast sporting events broadcast by advertiser-supported television networks), most pay services are devoid of traditional commercial advertising, instead breaks inserted between programs are typically filled with promotions for that network's programming

Promo (media)

A promo, shorthand for promotion, are a form of commercial advertising used in broadcast media, either television or radio; promos are generally used to promote a program airing on a television station, radio station, television network or radio network.-Background:Promos typically run a standard...

and special behind-the-scenes features. Many pay television services offer multiplex services that broadcast on a different schedule from the main channel, many of these multiplex channels (depending on the format) feature genre-based program content (ex.; one channel may feature family-oriented programming, another may feature action films).

Price

Pay television channels come in different price ranges. Many channels carrying advertising combine this income with a lower subscription fee. These are called "mini-pay" channels and are often sold as a part of a package with numerous similarly priced channels. Sometimes, the subscriptions are also sold "a la carte

A la carte cable television

A la carte cable television refers to a model for cable companies to allow subscribers to select to which television channels, pay tv, specialty channels they would like to have access...

,", allowing consumers to select which channels they subscribe to. Usually however the regular pricing for premium channels ranges from just under $10 to near $15 per month per suite, with lower prices available via bundling

Triple play (telecommunications)

In telecommunications, triple play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of two bandwidth-intensive services, high-speed Internet access and television, and a less bandwidth-demanding service, telephone, over a single broadband connection. Triple play focuses on a combined business...

options with cable or satellite providers, or special limited offers which are available during free preview periods or before the launch of a network's prestige series. However some other channels, such as sports and adult networks may ask for monthly pricing that may go as high as near $50 a month.

There are also premium television services which have a significantly higher price than the mini-pay channels, but they compensate for their higher price by carrying little or no advertising and also providing a higher quality output. As advertising sales are sensitive to the business cycle

Business cycle

The term business cycle refers to economy-wide fluctuations in production or economic activity over several months or years...

, some broadcasters try to balance them with more stable income from subscriptions.

Packaging

Some providers offer channels owned by the same company in a single package. For example, American satellite provider DirecTV

DirecTV

DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...

offers the Encore channels along with the Starz!

Starz!

Starz is an American premium subscription channel that features mainly first-run motion pictures, along with some original programming...

channels in its "Starz Super Pack"; and The Movie Channel

The Movie Channel

The Movie Channel is an American premium channel owned by Showtime Networks, Inc., a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, which shows mostly movies, as well as special behind-the-scenes features, softcore adult erotica and movie trivia....

, Flix and The Sundance Channel along with Showtime in its "Showtime Unlimited" package. HBO in turn almost always packages Cinemax

Cinemax

Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...

and its sister networks with HBO.

Unlike other cable networks, premium services are almost always subscribed to a la carte cable television
A la carte cable television
A la carte cable television refers to a model for cable companies to allow subscribers to select to which television channels, pay tv, specialty channels they would like to have access...

, meaning that one can, for example, subscribe to HBO without subscribing to Showtime (In Canada, there are slight modifications, as most providers include U.S. superstation

Superstation

Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...

s with their main premium package by default). However, subscribing to an "individual" service automatically includes access to all of that service's available multiplex channels and, in some cases, access to content via video-on-demand. Also in Canada, HBO Canada

HBO Canada

HBO Canada is a Canadian television channel, which airs programming sourced from the HBO subscription service in the United States. HBO Canada is not available as a standalone channel, but as one channel within the TMN and Movie Central multiplexes....

is included in two separate packages: The Movie Network

The Movie Network

The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories...

package, as well as the Movie Central

Movie Central

Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories...

package (as the two services are split to serve Western Canada and Eastern Canada, respectively).

Distribution

Pay television has become popular with cable

Cable television

and satellite television

Satellite television

. Most pay TV services now offer multiplex

Multiplex (TV)

A multiplex or mux is a group of TV channels that are mixed together for broadcast over a digital TV channel and separated out again by the receiver...

packages, in which the service offers several channels of programming rather than just one. Pay television services often, at least two to three times per year, provide subscribers free previews

Free preview

Free preview, sometimes referred to by the portmanteau nickname "freeview", is a term, most commonly used by cable television, referring to when cable systems offer a pay-TV service to customers for free for a short period of time.-History:...

of their services, in order to court potential subscribers by allowing this wider audience to sample the service; these are typically scheduled to showcase major special event programming, such as the pay cable premiere of a blockbuster feature film or the premiere (either a series or season premiere) of a widely anticipated or critically acclaimed original series.

There have also been some subscription services on analogue terrestrial television; but free-to-air television has always dominated, and scrambled services have been. Canal+

Canal+

Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...

has operated a national pay channel in the French terrestrial network since 1984 and will do so until the closedown of analogue television. Spanish Canal+

Canal+ Spain

Canal+ 1, formerly known simply as Canal+ is a Spanish commercial television channel, launched in September 1990 on terrestrial television frequencies. The channel is operated by Sogecable. The main staples of Canal+ 1 are Spanish football, bullfighting and recent movies.In 1997 new channels using...

did also broadcast nationally between 1990-2005. Some US stations launched services such SuperTV

SuperTV

Super TV was an early form of subscription television which was offered to the public as either an additional viewing alternative to HBO & Showtime, or, like many in the area at that time who did not have cable service in their area. To many, Super TV served as the only choice to see recently-run...

, Wometco

Wometco Home Theater

The Wometco Home Theater was an early pay television service in the New York City area, owned by Miami-based Wometco Enterprises, which owned several major network affiliates in medium markets and their flagship WTVJ in Miami...

, Prism, Preview

Preview (TV channel)

Preview was a subscription television service, started in 1980, similar to ON-TV and SelecTV. Like ON-TV and SelecTV, Preview was a scrambled UHF Subscription channel requiring a special set-top box to decode....

, SelecTV

SelecTV USA

SelecTV was a subscription television service formed in 1976, and first broadcasting in 1978 The service focused entirely on televising movies, and ended in 1991...

and ON-TV

ON-TV

ON-TV, also known as National Subscription Television, was a subscription television service launched in 1977 by Oak Industries, Norman Lear's Chartwell Enterprises and Jerry Perenchio. Oak was a manufacturer of satellite and pay-TV decoders and equipment...

in the late '70s, but those services disappeared as they couldn't handle the competition from cable television.

In some countries, the launch of digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...

has meant that pay television has become increasingly popular in countries with regular antennas.

The major distributors of pay television in Australia are Foxtel

Foxtel

Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....

, Optus Television

Optus Television

Optus Television is the cable television division of Australian telecommunications company Optus.-History:Its immediate predecessor was Optus Vision, a joint venture between, Optus and Continental Cablevision with small shareholdings by media companies Publishing and Broadcasting Limited and Seven...

, Austar

Austar

Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...

, SelecTV and TransACT

TransACT

TransACT Capital Communications is an Australian telecommunications company based in Canberra which provides broadband internet access, fixed telephony, cable television services, and mobile phone services in Canberra and a subset of these services in Queanbeyan, throughout South-east New South...

, all of which provide cable services in some metropolitan areas, and satellite for all areas of the nation where cable is not available.

Pay-per-view

Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...

(PPV) services are similar to subscription-based pay TV services in that customers must pay to have the broadcast decrypted for viewing, but usually only entail a one-time payment for a single or time-limited viewing. Programs offered via pay-per-view are most often movies or sporting events, but may also include other events, such as concerts.

Free-to-view

"Free" variants are free-to-air

Free-to-air

Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...

(FTA) and free-to-view

Free-to-view

Free-to-view is a term used for free of charge and encrypted audio and/or video contents transmission that do not require any form of continual subscription...

(FTV); however FTV services are normally encrypted and decryption cards either come as part of an initial subscription to a pay TV bouquet or can be purchased for a one-time cost.

Selective access of free content

FTA and FTV systems may still have selective access. ABC Asia-Pacific is one example. This channel's content is free-to-air but NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

games are encrypted.

Africa

South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

: M-Net

M-Net

M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....

, DStv

DStv

DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...

, TopTV

TopTV

TopTV is a South African satellite TV service that began broadcasting on 1 May 2010. TopTV is owned by On Digital Media, who were granted a pay-TV license by ICASA in September 2007. On Digital Media is 20% owned by TV satellite operator, SES Astra...

Francophone Africa: Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...

Afrique, M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....

, DStv
DStv
DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...
Lusophone Africa: TV Cabo
TV Cabo
ZON Multimédia is a Portuguese media holding company whose main assets include a satellite, cable operator and ISP, a movie distributor and a virtual carrier of mobile phone services. Its services include cable television, cable internet and VOIP. ZON Multimédia is the spun off media arm of...

, M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....

, DStv
DStv
DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...
Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

:Zuku

Asia

Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

- NHK World Premium Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

- AoraTV, IndoVision

Indovision

Indovision is a subscription-based direct broadcast satellite or direct-to-home satellite television and radio service initially in Indonesia. Indovision is currently owned by PT MNC Skyvision.-History:Indovision began operations in 1994....

, TelkomVision

TelkomVision

TelkomVision is a subscription-based direct broadcast satellite and cable television provider service for Indonesia. It is a part of the Telkom Group...

Europe

Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

- Sky Deutschland, AustriaSat Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

- Digitalb Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

- Telenet Digital TV

Telenet (Belgium)

Telenet Group is the largest provider of broadband cable services in Belgium. Its business comprises the provision of analog and digital cable television, high speed internet and fixed and mobile telephony services, primarily to residential customers in Flanders and Brussels...

, Belgacom TV

Belgacom

The Belgacom Group is the largest telecommunications company in Belgium, headquartered in Brussels. Belgacom Group is primarily state owned, with the Belgian state holding 53.3% + 1 share...

, Numericable Digital TV

Numericable

Numericable is a British-American-Luxembourgian owned cable television operator operating in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, currently proposing standard quadruple-play services .- History :...

, VOO, Scarlet Digital TV, TV Vlaanderen, TéléSAT Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

- LTV

Lumiere TV

Lumiere TV is a premium television service available in Cyprus, that broadcasts movies and series. It is owned by LTV Group Ltd. Repeaters have been set up across the country that enable more than 80% of the population to receive these services. Lumiere TV was originally available on the NOVA...

, Alfa TV

Alfa TV

Alfa TV is a premium television service available in Cyprus, that broadcasts Sports and children's programming as well as the odd film. It is owned by Alfa TV Ltd. and it launched in 1998...

, NOVA Cyprus

NOVA Cyprus

NOVA Cyprus is a Cypriot digital satellite pay television service owned by Multichoice Cyprus. NOVA launched in July 2004 and was the first DTH satellite provider to launch in Cyprus...

Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

- UPC Czech Republic

UPC Broadband

UPC Broadband is a Pan-European Communications company owned by Liberty Global and is active in several European countries providing bundled cable television, internet and telephone services....

, Digi-TV, CS Link

CS Link

CS Link is a satellite service that offers Czech and Slovak TV and radio stations to residents of Czech Republic and Slovakia. The package includes digital channels received without subscription including HD channels and pay-TV channels...

France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

- Canal+

Canal+

, Numericable Digital TV

Numericable

Numericable is a British-American-Luxembourgian owned cable television operator operating in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, currently proposing standard quadruple-play services .- History :...

Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

- Sky Deutschland Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

- Nova Cinema, Nova Sports, Disney Channel

Disney Channel

Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

, Disney XD

Disney XD

Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...

, MAD Greekz

MAD Greekz

MAD Greekz is a 24hr greek, cable music channel that launched on September 12, 2008, it is a spin-off channel of MAD. MAD Greekz features non-stop Greek hits from all the top artists in Greece and also includes various interactive features for viewers including contests.It is available exclusively...

Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

- Sky Italia

Sky Italia

Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation launched on 1 August 2003, when the former platforms TELE+ and Stream TV merged together...

, Mediaset Premium

Mediaset Premium

Mediaset Premium is an Italian digital terrestrial television service provided by Mediaset. It provides pay tv and pay-per-view services through use of a smart card.-History:...

Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

- Kujtesa

Kujtesa

Kujtesa is an Internet Services and Cable TV provider located in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo.It was founded in 1995. Their biggest achievement was in 2006 when they launched a huge marketing campaign all over Kosovo - making them the first broadband provider in the region.In December 2010, they...

, IPKO Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

- Film1

Film1

Film1 is a Dutch premium television service owned by Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty Global. Film1 launched together with its sister service Sport1 on February 1, 2006 and replaced the Canal+ Netherlands television channels...

, Sport1

Sport1

Sport1 is a Dutch premium television service owned by Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty Global. Sport1 launched together with its sister service Film1 on February 1, 2006 and replaced the Canal+ Netherlands channels. At launch the service consisted of two main channels, six...

, Eredivisie Live

Eredivisie Live

Eredivisie Live is a Dutch pay-tv channel which holds the exclusive rights for the live matches of the Eredivisie, the highest national football division....

Russian Federation - NTV Plus

NTV Plus

NTV Plus is the brand name for the Russian digital satellite television service from NTV, transmitted from Eutelsat's W4 satellite at 36.0°E & from Bonum 1 at 56.0°E...

Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

- Cyfra+

Cyfra+

Cyfra+ is a Polish digital satellite platform, owned and operated by French media company Canal+ . It offers 95 channels. By 2010, Cyfra+ had 1,6 million subscribers.-Setbacks:...

, Canal+

Canal+

, Cyfrowy Polsat

Cyfrowy Polsat

Cyfrowy Polsat is a Polish DTH platform. It was launched on December 5, 1999 and is owned by Cyfrowy Polsat S.A. It is the fourth largest digital platform in Europe and the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. Cyfrowy Polsat have 3,47 million subscribes.Cyfrowy Polsat S.A...

, n

N (Poland)

n is a Polish DTH platform. It was launched on October 12, 2006 and is owned by ITI Neovision. On June 30, 2011 the company had reached 826,000 subscribers.- Channels :There are currently:* 94 encrypted channels...

, HBO, Cinemax

Cinemax

Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

- TVCine

TVCine

TVCine is a Portuguese premium television brand used on four movie channels, operated by ZON Multimédia. They showcase recent movies and premieres from all the major studios, as well as comedy, action, classic and old movies....

, SportTV

Sport TV

SportTV is the brand name for a group of seven Portuguese sports-oriented television channels. SportTV is the dominant subscription television sports brand in Portugal. The first channel, then known as only SportTV, was launched on 16 September 1998 and is produced by ZON Multimédia and...

, Disney Cinemagic, TV Globo Portugal, Caça e Pesca, Playboy TV

Playboy TV

, Festa Brava, Hot

Hot

Hot or HOT may refer to:*Geographical Places and People:**Hot District, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand**Hot, Hot a sub-district of Hot District, Thailand**Hot, Albania, a municipality in the Malësi e Madhe District, Albania...

Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

- UPC

UPC Broadband

UPC Broadband is a Pan-European Communications company owned by Liberty Global and is active in several European countries providing bundled cable television, internet and telephone services....

, Digi-TV, SkyLink Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

- Canal+

C More Entertainment

C More Entertainment is a premium television company, operating under the banner CANAL+, that targets the Nordic Countries and with one separate channel in Sweden ....

, Viasat Sport, TV1000

TV1000

TV1000 is a group of cable and satellite movie channels broadcasting to the Nordic countries and owned by Modern Times Group . It is also the name of the flagship channel.-History:...

Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

- Teleclub

Teleclub

Teleclub, founded in 1982 in Switzerland, is one of the longest established Pay TV broadcasters in Europe. Between 1984 and 1991 the service was also available in Germany. Today it is only available in Switzerland....

Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

- Digiturk

Digiturk

Digiturk is a Turkish Satellite television provider, founded in 1999, with services starting in mid-2000. They offer, both national cable TV channels and their own channels, national radio, and music streams of different genres. Digiturk is also the current owner of the broadcasting rights of...

, D-Smart, Teledünya

Teledünya

Teledünya is a Turkish digital cable TV service that was founded on November 1, 2008 by Turksat. It also provides internet by the same cable.-Channel list:...

United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

- Sky Digital

British Sky Broadcasting

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....

, Virgin Media

Virgin Media

Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...

North America

Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

- Super Channel, The Movie Network

The Movie Network

, Movie Central

Movie Central

Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories...

, Super Écran

Super Écran

Super Écran is a Canadian French language Category A premium television service that broadcasts nationally via satellite or cable subscribers. The network is owned by Astral Media...

, HBO Canada

HBO Canada

Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

- Cinecanal

Cinecanal

right|180px|Cinecanal logo used in HD VersionCinecanal is a Latin American panregional cable television network launched in 1 April 1993. It is owned by a group of Hollywood studios and Latin American cable companies. The studio owners include Paramount, 20th Century Fox and NBC Universal. MGM was...

, HBO, Cinemax

Cinemax

, The Movie Channel

The Movie Channel

, Playboy TV

Playboy TV

United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

- HBO, Cinemax

Cinemax

, Showtime, The Movie Channel

The Movie Channel

, Flix

Flix (cable network)

Flix is an American premium television network that is owned by CBS Corporation subsidiary Showtime Networks, Inc., which also runs Showtime and The Movie Channel...

, Sundance Channel, Starz, Encore, MoviePlex

MOVIEplex

MoviePlex is an American premium television network which features recent and older motion pictures. It is a spinoff of the Encore movie channel and is owned by Liberty Starz...

, Playboy TV

Playboy TV

, Hustler TV, Penthouse TV

Penthouse TV

Penthouse TV is an American premium adult entertainment television channel consisting of explicit adult material, primarily hardcore pornographic films. The channel's name is licensed from the men's magazine Penthouse. The channel is owned by Penthouse Media and distributed by New Frontier Media's...

, Baby First TV, Epix, Fox Soccer Plus

Fox Soccer Plus

, NFL RedZone

Oceania

Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

- Foxtel

Foxtel

, Optus Television

Optus Television

, Austar

Austar

Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...

, Movie Network

Movie Network

Movie Network Channels is an Australian premium television movie service that consists of five original channels , two SD timeshifts and three HD simulcasts...

, showtime movie channels New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

- Sky Network Television

SKY Network Television

Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...

South America

Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

- HBO/Cinemax

Cinemax

pack, Globosat

Globosat

Globosat is a multichannel cable and satellite TV service in Brazil, created in 1991, after the creation of cable and satellite TV services. It has also operated a channel in Portugal, TV Globo Portugal, having earlier operated a similar channel, GNT Portugal, until 2006...

channels, Warner Channel

Warner Channel

Warner Channel is a Latin American and Asian cable television channel owned by Time Warner's HBO Asia/HBO Latin America Group Warner Channel (commonly shortened to WBTV, but not to be confused with the WB Television Network or Charlotte, North Carolina station WBTV, and currently referred to in...

, TNT

TNT

TNT is the chemical explosive trinitrotoluene.TNT or T.N.T. may also refer to:-Television:* TNT , American cable television channel and its international offshoots* TNT , a television station in Launceston, Australia...

, Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....

, Sony Entertainment Television

Sony Entertainment Television

Sony Entertainment Television is a series of general entertainment television channels, owned by Sony Pictures Television. At least 9 International versions of this channel exist:*Sony Entertainment Television Asia...

, Fox

Fox

Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...

pack Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

- HBO/Cinemax

Cinemax

pack, Moviecity channels, CDF

Canal del Fútbol (Chile)

Canal del Fútbol, also known by its initials CDF, is a privately owned cable TV channel of Chile. It launched in 2003 and is owned by CDF S.A.-History:...

Programs

Price

Packaging

Distribution

Pay-per-view

Free-to-view

Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

Oceania

South America

See also