- SkyLife and Nagravision expand relationship by signing a collaboration agreement for 3D television
- Strategic partnership will increase SkyLife’s 3D offering this year with new pushVOD service
- Nagravision will provide consulting services and also license content to SkyLife
Seoul, Korea; Cheseaux, Switzerland, and Las Vegas, Nevada – April 13, 2010
Nagravision, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the world’s leading independent provider of value-added content protection solutions, and SkyLife, the sole DTH pay-TV service provider in Korea with 2.5 million subscribers, announced today that the companies are expanding their relationship to collaborate on 3D television. Nagravision and SkyLife will create a state-of-the art 3D experience for home viewers.
In January of 2010, SkyLife launched “Sky 3D” the world’s first 24 hour 3D channel on its satellite pay TV platform. SkyLife recently announced an investment of 5 billion Won ($4.4 million) to extend its 3D activities. Equipped with high-end 3D production systems by this coming May, SkyLife will produce a variety of 3D content, focusing on live sporting events and concerts. SkyLife is planning to add two more 3D only channels to its 3D offerings by 2012. Nagravision’s own extensive 3D initiative aims at enabling its customers to launch seamlessly 3D services. As part of its 3D initiative, Nagravision has developed a comprehensive 3D content sourcing and distribution operation. Nagravision is licensing original 3D content including full features, sponsored and short form programming to SkyLife.
Nagravision will provide SkyLife with a full pushVOD solution, enabling SkyLife to offer a new service called 3D MRS (Movie Rental Service). 3D MRS is expected to be available in 2010. The new service will allow SkyLife subscribers to watch the 3D content of their choice at their own convenience.
“We are more than aware that our only path to continued success lies in providing customer satisfaction through quality content and quality service. To that end, we continue to partner with companies like Nagravision, that can enhance our services and help us remain competitive in the digital media industry," said Lee Mongryong, CEO of SkyLife. "Nagravision has proven to be an exceptional partner. With their a unique expertise in the 3D end-to-end production chain as well as on the 3D technology made available to us, our subscribers will benefit from the expanded relationship of our two companies."
“SkyLife is the most innovative pay TV operator in the field of 3D services. They’ve become a trendsetter in the market by providing their subscribers with new content choices and exceptional service quality," said André Kudelski, Chairman and CEO of the Kudelski Group. "Nagravision and the Kudelski Group are very proud to support SkyLife as they expand their offerings into 3D and we want to ensure their subscribers have the most exciting and highest quality state-of-the art experience."
As part of the new agreement, Nagravision will provide SkyLife with consulting services in the field of 3D Production. Those services range from management of live event productions, to post production and extensive training through the Nagravision "3D Academy" program. Additionally, Nagravision is also developing high quality real-time 2D to 3D conversion technology.
Nagravision and SkyLife will jointly demonstrate a 3D user experience at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 12-15, in the Nagravision booth SU4912.
About SkyLife
Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting Co. Ltd., more universally recognized under its ‘SkyLife’ brand name, is the only satellite broadcasting operator (DTH platform) in Korea providing more than 200 channels, 61 channels of which are HD channels, the most in Korea. The number of HD channels is supposed to be over 70 by the end of 2010. The expanded HD offering will rely on the launch of a new satellite (Mugungwha-6 launched by KT), set for the third quarter of 2010.
SkyLife commenced its commercial service in March 2002 and reached 2,460,000 subscribers as of the end of 2009, which accounts for around 13% of all households in Korea. As of now around 20% of the SkyLife customers subscribe to HD packages. SkyLife is aiming for 3 million subscribers by the end of this year. On 1st January, 2010, SkyLife launched a 24 hour 3D dedicated channel (“Sky3D”, channel number 1), the first satellite channel of its kind in the world. It delivers sports, events, animations and other entertainment content from some of the world’s most renowned 3D producers as well as the content produced by SkyHD, a subsidiary company of SkyLife. Please visit www.skylife.co.kr for more information.
About the Kudelski Group and Nagravision
The Kudelski Group (SIX: KUD.S) is a world leader in digital security and convergent media solutions for the delivery of digital and interactive content. Its technologies are used in a wide range of services and applications requiring access control and rights management to secure the revenue of content owners and service providers for digital television and interactive applications across broadcast, broadband and mobile delivery networks. The Kudelski Group is also a world technology leader in the area of access control and management of people or vehicles to sites and events. It additionally offers professional recorders and high-end Hi-Fi products. The Kudelski Group is headquartered in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland. Please visit www.nagra.com for more information.
Nagravision, a Kudelski Group company, is the leading supplier of open conditional access systems, DRM and integrated on-demand solutions for content providers and digital TV operators over broadcast, broadband and mobile platforms. Its technologies are currently being used by more than 120 leading Pay-TV operators worldwide securing content delivered to over 124 million active smart cards and devices. Please visit www.nagravision.com for more information.
Contacts:
Ivan Schnider
(contact for trade media)
Nagravision SA
Head of Marketing Communications
+41 21 732 09 40
[email protected]
Daniel Herrera
(contact for general interest media)
Kudelski Group
Head of Corporate Communications
+41 21 732 01 81
[email protected]
Santino Rumasuglia
(contact for investors and financial analysts)
Kudelski Group
Head of Investor Relations
+41 21 732 01 24
[email protected]
Dawn Danaher
Media Relations for Nagravision Americas
+1 714 378 5841
[email protected]