News

FilmBox Stars Aims to be One of the Most Watched Pay TV Channels Following the Great Success of FilmBox

Building on the success of FilmBox in Czechia, FilmBox Stars will now also start measuring viewership data in the region, beginning March 1st 2022. In addition, FilmBox Stars will diversify its programming grid to include even more top-quality entertainment in HD

SPI/FilmBox announces that, as of March 1st, 2022 their premium movie channel FilmBox Stars will initiate viewership measurement in Czechia.  Moving forward, FilmBox Stars will offer a more diversified channel programming in HD to expand its viewership, especially across the female demographic. In addition to Hollywood hits and popular blockbusters with A-list celebrities that FilmBox Stars already broadcasts, the enriched programming slate will include more romantic comedies, dramas, series, thrillers, biographical and family movies. It will also feature local Czech content. 

“The strategic decision to make FilmBox Stars a measurable channel is a step forward that builds on the success of FilmBox, which has established itself as the leader in the pay movie market in Czechia for almost two years and counting,” commented Berk Uziyel, CEO at SPI International. “We are grateful for the on-going support of SPI/FilmBox audiences in Czechia and we undertake this change as a means to elevate their entertainment experience with more targeted content offerings and the goal of making FilmBox Stars the second most-watched pay movie TV channel in the market,” added Uziyel.

A weekly programming grid for FilmBox Stars will include the following on primetime: Dramas starring A-list Hollywood stars on Mondays, romantic movies on Tuesdays, gripping thrillers on Wednesdays, popular Czech films on Thursdays and comedies on Fridays. On Saturdays, viewers will be able to watch biographical or historical movies and stories that are based on real events. Sundays will feature the Hit/Premiere of The Week.

In the upcoming weeks, viewers can enjoy Channing Tatum in Magic Mike, a movie directed by Steven Soderbergh and is based on Tatum’s personal experience as an 18-year-old stripper. In Book Club, things will get steamy, as long-time friends Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen spice up their lives after reading Fifty Shades of Grey. A different kind of comedy is Bohdan Sláma’s Divoké včely, a confrontation of relations between various lovers in a small North Moravian village. FilmBox Stars will, of course, show many typical romantic comedies, such as Two Night Stand where a snowstorm forces two people who made an online connection to unwillingly extend their one-night stand as a blizzard goes through the night. High-quality drama will also be part of the channel’s movie offer, such as Marek Najbrt’s Protektor, a love story from the times of the Nazi occupation, or The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep as an elderly Margaret Thatcher looking back on her life.

 

About SPI International

SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.

SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services. 

SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.

For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand. www.spiintl.com

 

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SPI’s 360 TuneBox Launches with Zuku Across Five East African Countries

SPI/FilmBox and Zuku, a leading East African home entertainment provider under the Wananchi Group, announce the expansion of their distribution deal which now includes SPI’s music and lifestyle brand, 360 TuneBox. As of February 2nd, Zuku subscribers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia can access 360 TuneBox on the operator’s DTH platform.  

“360 TuneBox is a great addition to Zuku’s offering and it is guaranteed to entertain those who enjoy discovering new music on a daily basis with its programming slate,” said Georgina Twiss, MD Western Europe & Africa at SPI International. “We are happy to be building on our good relationship with the Wananchi Group following the launch of FilmBox Africa last year and are looking forward to growing our content portfolio together,” Twiss added.

360 TuneBox is SPI’s Home for Independent Music with a slate that showcases music from today’s hottest independent artists, amazing DJ sets, and a selection of some of the best music videos from around the world. 

Zuku also carries SPI’s FilmBox Africa at channel number 207, which offers more than 300 premiere tiles every year, and features popular Hollywood blockbusters, films from top directors, world cinema classics and popular series. It is geared towards a wide range of movie fans.

 

About SPI INTERNATIONAL

SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.

SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services. 

SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.

For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand. 

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SPI/FilmBox Launches Dizi with MEGOGO in Multiple Countries

SPI/FilmBox and OTT service MEGOGO have extended their partnership for three more years, adding Dizi content to the mix. SPI’s premium series hub Dizi will be available as both linear channel and VOD to subscribers in multiple countries.

SPI/FilmBox and MEGOGO, one of the largest OTT/VOD services in Eastern Europe and CIS, announce that they have extended their distribution deal for three more years in addition to making SPI’s premium series hub Dizi available to MEGOGO subscribers in a number of countries. According to the deal, Dizi content will be offered both via the linear feed of Timeless Dizi Channel and as stand-alone video-on-demand (VOD) through the platform. The on-demand content delivered to MEGOGO within the scope of this agreement will also include movies, documentaries and lifestyle programming.  

“The success that Timeless Dizi Channel has reached globally since its launch has been remarkable. Now, we are excited to bring the riveting world of Dizi to digital through a partnership with MEGOGO, one of the most prominent players in CIS. MEGOGO subscribers will be able to keep up with their favorite Turkish series with the linear feed or watch the episodes on-demand at their leisure,” commented Murat Muratoğlu, Head of Distribution at SPI International. 

Established in April 2019, Dizi reaches millions of households worldwide, available across Europe, the Middle East, CIS and Africa. With an award-winning slate of globally acclaimed Turkish drama series, the Dizi content highlights available for MEGOGO subscribers include: International Emmy Award nominated Black Money Love, Karadayi, Stiletto Vendetta, 20 Minutes and Raven (Kuzgun).

 “Turkish content is one of the most popular for our customers. We are glad to have such a great possibility to explore the Turkish culture, history and social life together. Thanks to our collaboration with SPI International/FilmBox, our users will get even more interesting content,” said Ivan Shestakov, Chief Innovation Officer at MEGOGO.

At the moment, Timeless Dizi Channel is available in the following countries with MEGOGO: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. More countries will be added to the list over time.

In addition to Dizi, MEGOGO already carries the following from the SPI/FilmBox portfolio: FilmBox, DocuBox HD, FashionBox HD, Fast&FunBox HD, FightBox HD, 360 TuneBox, FilmBox Arthouse, Gametoon and Erox - All of which will be available to MEGOGO subscribers for an additional three years with the extension of the distribution agreement.

 

About SPI INTERNATIONAL

SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.

SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services. 

SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.

For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand. www.spiintl.com

About MEGOGO

MEGOGO is the largest media service in Eastern Europe and Central Asia for watching video, TV and listening to audio. The monthly audience is 55 million unique users and the resource catalog features more than 200,000 hours of content. The media service cooperates with well-known studios such as: FOX, BBC, Sony, Walt Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and others. MEGOGO changes users' habits in modern content consumption: TV with interactive features, high-quality movies and cartoons, a content recommendation system based on preferences, interactive thematic channels of own production, a separate section with games on Smart TV, thousands of audiobooks and podcasts. MEGOGO is available on Smart TV sets, media players, Apple TV, Android TV, game consoles, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and also on PCs. MEGOGO is a platform that always has something to entertain its users. For more information, please visit https://megogo.net/

For more information please contact: melodi.simson@spiintl.com

 

 

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SPI’s FilmBox Arthouse Now Available on Amazon Prime Video Channels in the Netherlands

Prime members in the Netherlands can now access a curated selection of classics and world cinema gems on-demand via the FilmBox Arthouse add-on paid monthly subscription

SPI/FilmBox announces that FilmBox Arthouse, which delivers a curation of contemporary arthouse movies and world cinema gems, has launched on Amazon Prime Video Channels in the Netherlands as add-on paid monthly subscription package. The package currently features a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) proposition that allows viewers to choose the movies they would like to watch with the linear channel launch scheduled for later in the year.

“The FilmBox Arthouse offer now available on Amazon Prime Video Channels Netherlands will delight true movie buffs and those who appreciate the art of cinema with its specially-curated selection of arthouse movies and classics, perfect for a cozy night-in,” said Georgina Twiss, MD Western Europe and Africa at SPI International.

Some of the FilmBox Arthouse highlights which will be available to Prime members in the Netherlands include La Dolce Vita, Journey to Italy and The Foreign Correspondent by legendary auteurs Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini and Alfred Hitchcock, as well as more contemporary world cinema classics like Nostalghia, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, and Jûzô Itami’s Tampopo.    

 

About SPI INTERNATIONAL

SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.

SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services. 

SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.

For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand. 

For more information please contact: melodi.simson@spiintl.com 

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