M7 sees rocketing demand for OTT app, plans new channels

The number of users of international pay TV operator M7 Group’s OTT TV service has now reached 300,000, representing a growth rate of 30% since December last year.

Bill Wijdeveld

M7 Group VP of business development Bill Wijdeveld said that take-up of the M7 TV app, which is available on Apple and Android devices, had been “impressive”.

In addition to its app for Android and iOS devices, M7 has also introduced a dedicated app for smart TVs in partnership with Samsung, allowing viewers to access both linear and interactive services without the need for a set-top box. It said that agreements with other TV manufacturers would follow soon.

M7 said that as a result of he rapid uptake of hybrid TV viewing among M7 subscribers, special interest channels targeting smaller viewing audiences, including NPO Zapp, NPO1 Extra, RTL Crime, RTL Lounge and AT5, are now primarily distributed via OTT.

The pay TV outfit said that the availability of OTT and hybrid distribution in addition to M7’s existing DTH and IPTV platforms meant that the group was able to make new channels available. It said that it would shortly add NPO2 Extra, NPO3 Extra and NPO Nieuws  to the line-up of the Canal Digitaal TV app. Content from the channels will also be available via the operator’s restart and replay TV services.