Satellite operator EchoStar and Brazilian telco GVT have ended talks over forming a pay-TV joint venture to serve the Brazilian market.
In a brief statement, GVT’s owner, the French media group Vivendi, stated that discussions between the two have…
Satellite operator EchoStar and Brazilian telco GVT have ended talks over forming a pay-TV joint venture to serve the Brazilian market.
In a brief statement, GVT’s owner, the French media group Vivendi, stated that discussions between the two have ended but that it remains “firmly committed to accelerating the deployment of GVT’s pay-TV business”. As such, GVT will be pursuing the project on its own.
EchoStar and GVT announced on 1 October that they had entered into negotiations to form a DTH joint venture that would seek to take advantage of the fast growing Brazilian Pay-TV market. Demand in the country is expected to increase rapidly with Brazil to host two major sporting events in the next couple of years, the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016.
The JV was to be headquartered in Brazil, managed by GVT and would utilise EchoStar’s 45W orbital slot and Brazilian licences.
The cessation of the talks is a blow to EchoStar as it has been searching for a pay-TV JV partner for more than a year. The operator, the sister company of US DTH firm Dish Network, has previously been linked with Brazilian telcos Telefonica Brasil and Oi.
As with GVT, EchoStar stated that it remains committed to offering pay-TV services in Brazil.
