RIKSTV

R IKSTV

Unique local content for the Norwegian pay-TV market www.rikstv.no

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Championing the Role of

Local TV Aggregator broadcast technology trends to distribute linear TV content to the Norwegian market.

“When we first entered the market in 2007, we were a ‘traditional’ linear TV distributor, while today, we are using all the experience gained to combine the best of new technologies together to create an allWriter: Emily Jarvis • Project Manager: Jake Megeary inclusive service offering that provides seamless experience and access to istinguishing itself from both linear and on-demand content to the growing presence of our customers,” explains Christopher local and international Knudsen, Director of Technology at entrants in the pay-TV RiksTV. entertainment market, As digitisation of TV distribution RiksTV has expanded its distribution and entrants of international media and content reach in the Norwegian companies accelerated in the local pay-TV market by creating a unique market, so has the level of innovation platform that blends high quality in the television market; with the content from national and rapid growth of streaming services, international content owners on wider range of international and niche traditional linear (DTT) and on-demand channels and ubiquitous access to (OTT) distribution platforms, where content on any device. ease of use, accessibility and freedom Today, RiksTV has more than of choice rests at the centre of its value 500,000 customers and a wide proposition. range of TV packages to suit all Founded in 2005, with its first set demographics, an on-demand service of channels launched in 2007, RiksTV and the RiksTV app for tablet and began operating in the midst of the mobile devices. There are now more Christopher Knudsen, Director of Technology digital revolution, embracing the latest than 3,000 RiksTV-approved TV and set

With a rich history in providing linear TV-packages through the digital terrestrial network in Norway, RiksTV has developed into a full TV aggregator, blending together OTT and DTT content with a focus on accessibility, ease of use and freedom of choice to create a unique pay-TV package tailored to Norwegian viewers

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top boxes available from more than 800 retailers in Norway.

“Despite facing the challenge of new entrants into the market, both local and international, we have been able to maintain our customer base and seek opportunities for growth” he further highlights.

In Norway, the digital terrestrial network has grown to become one of the largest in the world with a network of 450 transmitters. These masts transmit TV signals wirelessly and approximately 98 percent of households and 80 percent of the leisure market are able to receive a signal from RiksTV transmitters.

“RiksTV is wireless and available almost everywhere in Norway, including the coastline,” confirms Knudsen.

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Intuitive offering

With more than 50 channels including local radio stations, RiksTV blends together local content with accessibility, ease of use, freedom of choice and convenience to create an intuitive service offering that attracts a rural customer base evenly distributed across Norway.

Prior to RiksTV, local Norwegian channels used to be assigned to various networks which would mean in order to access the full local channel list, customers would often have to subscribe to more than one pay-TV service. The launch of DTT in 2007 enabled RiksTV to “tear down this wall”, aggregating the majority of local content providers through the RiksTV

platform in order to give the customer “better freedom of choice”.

Knudsen details: “As a relatively young operator in a saturated market, we were initially seen as a lofty entrepreneurial entrant. However, our focus on being an innovator who challenges existing pay-TV packing and business models, combined with our strategic partnering and local sourcing model, has helped us to attract and retain customers in Norway.

“Our lean organisation, continuous focus on agility through our work practices, combined with strategic

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R I K S T V

STRONG SCANDINAVIA

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TRONG Scandinavia is part of the STRONG Group. STRONG, established in Europe in 1989, is a global supplier of consumer electronics, has nine fully operational subsidiaries and six regional sales offices covering 55 countries. STRONG is one of the leading providers of consumer electronics in Europe offering an extensive range of digital set-top-boxes.

The European Headquarters is located in Austria with additional technical research & development offices situated in Holland, Ukraine, Austria and China.

To secure high quality products STRONG has its own quality management bases in China and Holland.

STRONG Scandinavia is located in Denmark and distributes the brands STRONG, THOMSON and TCL in the Nordic region, with a focus on set-topboxes, CAM, TVs, Wi-Fi streaming and audio.

Testing out new technologies and products has been vital to achieve success

RiksTV offering OTT and DTT with more than 50 channels On-demand services Film rental RiksTV app RiksTV Jr SMART-box II and multiroom viewing

partnering and sourcing is what sets us apart and enables us to quickly adapt new technologies and deploy new services. A focus on building and attracting core competency and organisational capabilities that allows for experimentation when it comes to testing out new ideas and product offerings has been vital to continue our success.

As a result of our customer commitment and focus on our operation and product development, we were awarded with ‘customer service provider of the year’ four times from 2008-2012.”

Freedom of choice

RiksTV was the first operator in Europe to offer customers the freedom of choice and create a subscriber package with channels tailored for every individual.

“Our multi-room solution

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STRONG aims to develop innovative, exciting and reliable products in close cooperation with customers and partners, focusing on customers’ specific needs for equipment and services across Europe.

The Company’s partnership with RiksTV is an example of shared success having started in 2011 with the launch of the first jointly developed RiksTV hybrid settop-boxes (version 1.0). STRONG is now excited to launch the next generation of RiksTV hybrid set-top-boxes (version 2.0) later this year, featuring all the latest functionalities and technologies.

The high quality and professionalism of RiksTV combined with the extensive experience and knowhow of STRONG has laid the foundations for long-term success.

STRONG Scandinavia is proud to be a preferred partner of RiksTV and looks forward to more future successes.

T +45 98 38 22 11 E info_dk@strong.tv

www.strong.tv

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Key milestones 2007 – The launch of DTT and RiksTV 2009 – Reaches 400,000 subscribers and launches its free choice channel package 2010 – Launches ‘Always Entertainment’ channel package 2011 – Signs distribution deal with Fox Crime 2012 – Rebranding with new logo, and the launch of hybrid set top boxes, along with new channels TV 2 Sumo and VGTV. RiksTV also launches film on demand service 2013 – Adds History, TV 6 and two BBC channels to its main listing 2014 – Customers able to download the RiksTV app and control the TV from an iPad 2015 – Launched film rental directly from iPad 2015 – Launched a set up box including built in Wi-Fi 2015 – Launched ‘RiksPakken’ (the main package) on iPad

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The launch of its children’s iPad and television application, RiksTV Jr further bolstered the Company’s product offering

complements this, allowing customers to access the RiksTV service in up to four rooms or places for one monthly fee,” he adds.

This year, the Company launched a new and improved version of its terrestrial receiver, the SMART-box II with built-in Wi-Fi, further improving access to on-demand content and an improved user experience. Knudsen notes: “The SMART-box offers our customers seamless access to a range of both DTT and OTT channels and value-add services such as video ondemand and catch-up services.”

Further bolstering its service offering, the network launched its children’s iPad and television application, RiksTV Junior, which is included in an ordinary subscription for no extra cost. “This is in recognition of the growing need to create packages suited for the young family; providing easy access to childsafe content,” he continues.

Championing content

RiksTV’s product development going forward will be focused on both continuous improvement of its existing services and taking advantage of new technology to make the Company’s ondemand and streaming service more accessible to a wider demographic.

Knudsen explains: “By taking advantage of data gathered from the adoption and use of both our linear and on-demand streaming service, we can better analyse and gain insight into what content our customers are watching, when they are tuning in, where they are watching from and on what devices. This will enable us to carefully customise our content and services offering to best suit our customer’s entertainment needs.

“This is currently a big market opportunity for us, with around 40 percent of Norwegian viewers watching via PC, tablet or smart phone.

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Given our extensive reach across the population, we need to make sure we provide seamless content for all across the various viewing platforms we offer in the hopes to increase our demographic reach.”

Going forward, the challenge for RiksTV lies in securing its position as the preferred local pay-TV aggregator that allow users to access the content they want, when they want, where they want.

Knudsen concludes: “Ultimately, Norwegian viewers will always want access to high quality live content and local productions, in combination with international series, film and other on-demand content. RiksTV, with our local focus, organisational capabilities and partnership with local content providers, has a unique possibility to take the content aggregator role and serve all this great content to our customers in a seamless and easy-touse way regardless of their viewing preferences. We want to be known as championing local content in order to keep this element of our local culture alive, even in the face of challenge from international content providers.

“We and our partners need to be able to capitalise on our advantages and organisational competencies in this market, leveraging the latest trends as a springboard to test out and launch new ideas as quickly as possible, in order to witness the longterm gains.”

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RIKSTV Ă˜kernveien 145 0580 Oslo Norway Head of Information: jens.petter@rikstv.no Tel: +47 908 01 108

www.rikstv.no