MTG extends presence in Africa

Modern Times Group (MTG) has launched its Viasat History and Viasat Nature pay TV channels in Uganda and Tanzania, following the signing of a distribution agreement with China-based digital-terrestrial television operator StarTimes.

StarTimes will also include the channels in its pay TV offering in Nigeria. Viasat History and Viasat Nature are each being broadcast 12 hours a day via a single satellite feed.

The Viasat History, Viasat Nature, Viasat Explorer and Viasat Crime channels are already available to satellite pay TV subscribers in Nigeria and to satellite and cable pay TV subscribers in Kenya, following distribution deals signed earlier in 2011.

StarTimes operates across Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Central African Republic, Guinea and Mozambique.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, president and CEO of MTG, said: “This is further evidence of our commitment to extend the footprint of our free and pay TV operations in sub-Saharan Africa. Our channels have already proven popular with subscribers and we intend to make them as broadly available as possible in these developing markets.”