Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

ACE AND DAZN SHUT DOWN ITALY’S CALCIO ILLEGAL STREAMING NETWORK

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and DAZN’s anti-piracy team have shut down Calcio which streamed unlicensed content from its base in Moldova.

The operator of the service agreed to cease operations after being approached by the ACE-DAZN team.

Calcio drew more than 123 million visits in the past 12 months across 134 domains. With over 6 million monthly visits from Italy alone, it was the most popular sports streaming website in the country.

The service provided unauthorised access to premium sports content including top European football leagues such as Serie A, Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1; UEFA club competitions including Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League; international competitions such as FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO; basketball leagues including the NBA; motorsports (including Formula 1 and Moto GP), tennis matches, and more.

“Shutting down illegal operations like Calcio is vital for protecting fans, safeguarding jobs, and preserving the value and integrity of live sports,”

said Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group. “ACE and DAZN’s decisive action in removing this site has prevented further harm to the wellbeing of the sports ecosystem.”

Eighty percent of the traffic came from Italy, with smaller percentages originating from Spain, the United States, Germany, and France.

“Piracy diminishes the commercial value of a live sports broadcast well before the final whistle blows, harming broadcasters, sports leagues, and fans alike,” said Larissa Knapp,
Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association (MPA). “With the start of the Italian football season, I commend the team for the timely takedown of this notorious operation.”

All Calcio domains have been transferred to ACE and are now redirected to ACE’s Watch Legally site.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

THE MOST WATCHED HOLIDAY SHOW WAS THE POLICIE MODRAVA SERIES. HOW DID THE TVS DO THIS SUMMER?

Police Modrava once again confirmed its strong position in the summer offer and became the most watched show of this year’s holiday season.

The most watched show of this year’s holiday TV season (1.7.-17.8.2025) was the series Policie Modrava (Nova). It was the only one of the main evening shows to attract more than one million viewers during the holidays. The next places were occupied by Televizní noviny, Počasí, Sportovní noviny (all Nova) and the rerun series Specialisté (Nova). This is according to official ATO-Nielsen data.

Also, the second half of the ranking of the most-watched holiday shows belonged to reruns, even of an earlier production date than those listed above. Included here were Malý pitaval z velkého města (Nova) and Hříšní lidé Města pražského (ČT), as well as the more recent Octopus (ČT).

July for ČT, August for Nova

Czech Television had the highest share of the TV market in July, despite a year-on-year decrease, in the universal audience group 15 . In 15-54 and 18-69, Nova was the strongest. In August, TV Nova was number one in all major audience categories.

Compared to the same period a year earlier, ČT’s July-August performance was down less than four percentage points year-on-year (15 ), while both major commercial groups improved. TV Nova gained more, gaining almost two percentage points year-on-year (15 ), and even four percentage points in 15-54. Prima increased its share by more than one percentage point year-on-year in July-August (15 ).

The year-on-year comparison is mainly due to the decline of ČT Sport (last year’s Euro football and the Paris Olympics). Of the individual ČT channels, ČT1, ČT2 and ČT24 improved year-on-year . Prima Krimi and CNN Prima News, as well as Television Seznam, also continued their significant growth.

Source: mediaguru.cz

JAN MAXA O PRO PRIMA PLUS STRATEGIES

Jan Maxa has been the head of the streaming platform prima+ since May.The video library has about 300,000 subscribers so far, which is not a small number for two years on the market, but it has not yet reached the point where it is “in the black”.

👉 What strategy has he prepared for Prima and how does he plan to work with different target groups?
👉 How does he think the media market has changed?
👉 And why did he leave Czech Television?

Read exclusively in the new issue of Marketing & Media magazine here.

Source: mam.cz

ORLANDO WOOD INTERVIEW: WHY ADVERTISING NEEDS SHOWMANSHIP AGAIN – AN INTERVIEW WITH ORLANDO WOOD

A leading voice in advertising effectiveness, Orlando Wood has transformed the industry’s understanding of how creativity drives commercial success. As Chief Innovation Officer at System1 and an Honorary Fellow of the IPA, he has studied more than 26,000 ads and authored the acclaimed books Lemon and Look Out. His award-winning research has shown why showmanship matters more than ever in an age of AI, streaming, and short-termism. We asked him to share his views on the enduring principles of effective advertising, the future role of television, and how brands can rediscover the creativity that fuels long-term growth.

From AI-driven campaigns to the enduring power of TV, Orlando Wood shares why advertising’s future depends on rediscovering its roots in showmanship

You’ve said that advertising needs to return to its roots. Why do you believe this is necessary, and what do you think has been lost or changed?

Over the last 20 years, advertising effectiveness has declined. We’ve shifted from a period of advertising showmanship to one of advertising salesmanship.

Showmanship builds salience and preference through narrative, character, and humour. Salesmanship speaks to the already half-interested, giving them reasons to buy and nudging them over the line.

Both are important, both have a long history, and each supports the other — but of the two, it’s showmanship that’s more crucial for long-term profit and growth. That’s something we seem to have forgotten. In fact, good showmanship also strengthens your salesmanship.

Unfortunately, we’ve become stuck in a salesmanship rut. What we need is a new creative revolution — one that brings us back to what drives growth.

In what ways can advertising reconnect with its roots in today’s landscape of digital platforms, AI, and streaming? How can it remain relevant while adapting to new media environments?

The first step is understanding what showmanship and salesmanship are, what they look like, and what kind of business outcomes they create. They operate very differently.

Showmanship captures attention among a broad audience and lodges the brand in memory through emotional appeal. Its effects build over time.
Salesmanship targets people already primed to buy — its effects are direct, immediate and short-lived.

You can clearly see the same kind of business outcomes associated with each school in new media too. Our work at System1 shows that these two schools of advertising exist across even the most modern of platforms, with showmanship driving salience, trust and sales, and salesmanship achieving only conversion (see our report, The Long and Short (Form) of It). The outline of these two schools and their outcomes can even be seen in influencer content.

Understanding advertising’s origins, roots and principles helps us to clarify what we need to do. Do this, and you realise that while practices change, principles endure. This is something I set out for participants in my effectiveness course Advertising Principles Explained (a.p.e.).

Showmanship will always work best with high-attention and broad-reach media. It requires a stage on which to perform. And this is why TV is so important.

As fully AI-developed campaigns begin to emerge, what role do you see AI playing in the creative process of TV campaigns? How do you view this development?

AI can be a brilliant creative partner — but only if you know how to brief it and how these two schools operate.

ITV has taken a proactive step with AI: it now offers a service where its creative team uses AI to develop ads for new-to-TV advertisers. This approach has two big benefits:

It helps new advertisers get started in an unfamiliar medium.
It lets them reallocate creative development budgets toward media spend.

We’ve tested some of these AI-generated ads at System1, and they can perform very well, surpassing the emotional scores achieved by advertising for established advertisers in the category.

Perhaps AI can help to up everyone’s game.

What role does television, both linear and streaming, play in today’s rapidly evolving media environment, where consumer behaviour is constantly shifting? How should advertisers adapt?

TV plays a hugely important part in today’s media mix – not just because of its reach, but because it delivers high attention. It can also, through its programming and sponsorship opportunities, help to insert a brand into culture.

So if you’re an advertiser, use TV’s strengths to deliver emotional, memorable and broad-reach campaigns – the kind that create long-term value and matter more than ever in a short-term world.

I often tell advertisers: you have to be more interesting, more arresting, more entertaining than the content that surrounds you. Remember that you are competing for time and attention.

And that’s true wherever you show up.

Transparency and targeting of political advertising

Statement of the Association of Commercial Television on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transparency and targeting of political advertising

AUGUST 2025

The Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) brings together the most prominent commercial broadcasters in the Czech Republic. The Regulation on Political Advertising (2024/900) has a fundamental impact on our members, as they are an integral part of the advertising market. As such, the Regulation will apply to them in cases where political advertising is published. For this reason, we highly appreciate the initiative of the European Commission, which aims to issue guidance to support the proper application and compliance with the Regulation, among other things, by including practical examples of political advertising.

After carefully reviewing the published version of the guidance, we are of the opinion that it is necessary to further refine the text of the guidance in two key areas in order for them to truly meet the expectations placed upon them by the advertising market—namely, to facilitate the practical application of the Regulation. This objective can also be supported by the feedback the European Commission receives from stakeholders as part of this initiative, which is, after all, the aim of the EU’s consultation strategy.

We cannot overlook the fact that the Regulation itself has already sparked a wide range of reactions. For this reason, we attribute immense importance to the guidance, as it is likely to become a key framework for the proper implementation of the Regulation on Political Advertising in practice. It is also possible that various entities will decide based on the guidance whether or not to publish political advertising at all. In this context, and briefly for the sake of completeness, we draw attention to a recent announcement published by Meta on its social network (https://about.fb.com/news/2025/07/ending-political-electoral-and-social-issue-advertising-in-the-eu/), which specifically states: “From early October 2025, we will no longer allow political, electoral and social issue ads on our platforms in the EU. Despite extensive engagement with policymakers to share these concerns, we have been left with an impossible choice: alter our services to offer an advertising product which doesn’t work for advertisers or users, without guarantee that our solution would be viewed as compliant, or stop allowing political, electoral and social issue ads in the EU. We’re not the only company to have been forced into this position.”

The first part of the guidance that requires further attention and adjustment to meet the needs of practical application is the section addressing the very nature of political advertising. Clear criteria and examples of messages that are to be considered political advertising are exactly what the market primarily expects from the guidance. However, it is not acceptable for the guidance to expand the definition of political advertising. From the perspective of legislative instruments, the guidance is a tool intended to interpret the law within its boundaries—by its nature, it cannot go beyond the law. On the contrary, it is essential that the guidance is clear and comprehensible so it can serve as a helpful guide in interpreting the Regulation on Political Advertising. The primary goal of the guidance should be to clarify the definition of “political advertising” as set out in the Regulation, ensuring it is clear and unambiguous. Therefore, we present our recommendations below:

Specifically, we are concerned that even purely commercial messages with a societal dimension may be incorrectly classified as political advertising. Commercial advertising with ethical or value-based content must not be automatically considered political advertising. The ‘elements to be considered’ that are shown in Table 1 on pages 20 to 23 of the guidance contain various criteria intended to help identify when a particular case involves political advertising. However, these criteria are of a purely subjective nature and are also commonly found in commercial advertising. Therefore, they cannot be taken as definitive indicators that a message constitutes political advertising. We are convinced that only objective and enforceable criteria will help distinguish between political and societal advertising. Commercial advertising with ethical or value-based content must not be automatically treated as political.

Another part of the guidance that needs to be revised—as we have already mentioned above—is the section concerning obligations under the Regulation. Media outlets disseminating advertising naturally have no influence over the content of the advertisement or its original intent. We must therefore clearly object to any discriminatory shifting of responsibility for political advertising onto a single link in the advertising chain—namely, onto us as media houses—especially since Article 7(1) of the Regulation and Section 3.2.4 of the guidance require providers to verify whether an advertisement qualifies as political. This effectively demands that we, as mere disseminators, subjectively assess the nature of submitted advertising. Responsibility for political advertising must be shared across the entire advertising chain—each party should bear responsibility only for the part it can objectively control. All of this must be based on clearly defined criteria.

Conclusion

To briefly summarise our recommendations and the direction in which the guidance should be adjusted in Section 2 (What is political advertising?) and Section 3 (Obligations under the Regulation): As for the criteria used to determine whether an advertisement constitutes political advertising, there must be a clear and direct link to a political objective—that is, objective and enforceable criteria. This will provide legal certainty and reduce the risk of overregulation, a concern that has been frequently raised since the publication of the Draghi report. Regarding the objections raised to the obligations imposed on broadcasters—as an integral part of the advertising chain—it is absolutely essential that responsibility is distributed fairly and does not rest solely on us as broadcasters. Any other approach would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the sustainability of the entire media sector. We see the potential of the guidance in the fact that, if it meets the expectations placed on it by the advertising market, it could become a trigger for a reassessment of the currently hesitant attitudes toward the Regulation on Political Advertising.

NOVA OPEN TO BRINGING ORDINACE BACK TO TV

Nova wants to build on this year’s results with its autumn programming, having succeeded in increasing its market share. Nova group’s Programming Director, Silvia Majeská, believes that the autumn lineup is strong and will find its audience.

The Nova group expects its autumn programming schedule to continue the current growth in viewership. Nova group’s Programming Director, Silvia Majeská, considers the family series Bratři a sestry to be the biggest new addition to the autumn lineup. It will replace Jedna rodina and will air on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. “The decision to end Jedna rodina was not easy because it was popular with viewers. Expectations for the new series are therefore even higher,” Silvia Majeská said in an interview with MediaGuru.cz after presenting the autumn premieres.

Other new additions to the lineup include the reality show Jáma lvová, which combines an entertainment format with support for small businesses. Expectations are also high for the premiere of the series Metoda Markovič: Hojer, which has so far only been available on Oneplay and will debut in the Sunday prime-time slot this autumn. It aims to build on the high summer viewership of the rerun of the series Policie Modrava in this time slot. New episodes will also be released for the series Kriminálka Anděl, the reality show Hell’s Kitchen, and the competition show Na lovu (The Chase).

Alongside the main channel, the streaming platform Oneplay is playing an increasingly important role. It is also the home of the premiere episodes of Ordinace v růžové zahradě. On TV Nova’s main channel, reruns of the series from 2014 currently air every weekday afternoon. Nova is considering whether to include the episodes of Ordinace that viewers have already seen on Oneplay in the linear broadcast schedule as well to reach a wider audience.

What do you consider the biggest new addition in Nova’s autumn programming schedule?

I think the biggest new addition is the family series Bratři a sestry. We have talked several times about looking for a title that would follow the successful series Jedna rodina. It was popular with viewers, so the decision to end it was not easy. Expectations for the new series are therefore even higher. The show will air two evenings a week and bring a new and interesting topic. I’m curious to see how viewers will respond to this theme.

Do you see the series Bratři a sestry as a long-term show, or is it planned with a limited number of episodes?

We intend it to be a long-term project, but the question is what one means by “long-term.” When you look at series like Ulice or Ordinace v růžové zahradě, which have been airing for twenty years, it’s relative. For us, it’s important that the story lasts for at least one to two seasons. If the series then gains viewer favour, it can definitely continue further.

How many episodes do you have prepared?

We have filmed episodes for both the autumn and spring seasons.

Competitor Prima is preparing a new show for the same time slot in which you will air Bratři a sestry. How do you think this battle will play out?

That is always difficult to predict. Viewers choose based on many different factors – they might be drawn to the topic, the way it’s presented, or a particular actor. We believe that Bratři a sestry will find its place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Additionally, we offer the series on Oneplay, where viewers can watch it in advance or catch up later, so we trust they will find their way to it.

Does the new series Bratři a sestry have the potential to appeal to a broader audience beyond your main 15-54 age group? For example, similar to the series Policie Modrava, which reaches beyond that target group?

Our main target audience is the 15–54 age group, where we have traditionally been strongest. Of course, we intend to create projects that appeal to as many viewers as possible, but primarily, we develop themes that resonate with the active population. We’ll see how it develops, but I believe that Bratři a sestry will complement our reality shows well and offer viewers a more varied programme.

For us, it is important that the story of Bratři a sestry lasts for at least one to two seasons. If the series then gains viewer favour, it can definitely continue further.

Silvia Majeská

Výměna manželek (Wife Swap) is not appearing in the autumn lineup. Will you no longer be airing it? It should be noted that the show has sparked some critical reactions.

We are not including new episodes of Wife Swap in the autumn schedule; we mainly air it at the beginning of the year, and we plan to do so again in 2026. New episodes were available on Oneplay during the summer. We are definitely not abandoning it, but every format evolves, and we are working to ensure it reflects current topics and viewer interests.

A new addition to the Wednesday lineup, specifically in the second prime-time slot, is the business reality show Jáma lvová. Does this represent a shift in the type of reality shows Nova wants to include in its schedule?

We are interested in formats that not only entertain but also help people. Jáma lvová gives small entrepreneurs who need support—both financial and experiential—a chance. Investors can help them take their projects further. Similar to Extreme Weight Loss, where participants were given the opportunity to change their lives, here we give people the chance to fulfil their entrepreneurial dreams.

Why did you decide to include the series Metoda Markovič: Hojer, which has been available only on Oneplay since last year, in the Sunday prime-time slot on TV Nova?

We have already used the same strategy with the miniseries Iveta and Král Šumavy. Before we launch the new season on Oneplay at the beginning of the new year, we remind viewers of the previous season on television. This strategy has proven effective for us. Episodes can be watched anytime on Oneplay, but it’s good to remind audiences of the series through linear broadcasting.

Will Metoda Markovič: Straka, coming at the beginning of the new year, be available only on Oneplay?

Yes, that is an original Oneplay production, so it will be available exclusively there.

Do you plan to include any other Oneplay originals in the television broadcast as well?

We will do so if it makes sense. We have already included series like Národní házená and Gumy this way. It always depends on the specific situation.

What about Ordinace v růžové zahradě? Will it remain only on Oneplay, or will it return to prime time on Nova?

We are discussing the best way to offer viewers their favourite shows because that matters most to us. It is possible that in the future, we will also bring episodes currently airing on Oneplay to television. However, this is still just a consideration. At the moment, Ordinace has its premiere season on Oneplay, where a new episode is released every week and where it also has a very strong viewer base. The question for the future is whether it will find an additional audience on TV. But that is a matter still under discussion.

It is possible that in the future we will also bring the episodes of Ordinace currently airing on Oneplay to television. However, this is still just a consideration.

Silvia Majeská

Do you plan to continue the reality show Farma (The Farm) in the Czech Republic next year?

It’s still too early to say; we first need to evaluate the first season. Personally, I’m glad that The Farm has appeared in the Czech Republic. In Slovakia, it’s a strong format that continues to evolve, and I believe it has great potential here as well.

What are the overall expectations for the autumn schedule?

Every season is a big challenge for us. We prepare projects for a long time and never have the certainty that we will exactly meet viewers’ expectations. However, we believe that the autumn lineup is really strong and will find its audience. So far, this year has been very successful for Nova, with growth on both the main channel and the thematic stations. We are all the more eager to receive feedback from viewers.

Source: mediaguru.cz

MAJOR ARREST IN ARGENTINA’S SPORTS PIRACY CRACKDOWN

In a sweeping move against digital piracy, Argentine authorities have arrested the alleged founder of Al Ángulo TV, a notorious illegal sports streaming platform that had gained massive popularity across Latin America.

The suspect, known online as Shishi, was detained at his home in Paraná, Entre Ríos, where police uncovered a fully equipped tech lab used to operate the piracy network. The raid was ordered by Judge Esteban Eduardo Rossignoli of the Juzgado de Garantías 4 de San Isidro, and executed by the Argentine Federal Police and Buenos Aires Provincial Police, under the guidance of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Cybercrime (UFEIC).

Al Ángulo TV streamed unauthorised broadcasts of national and international football matches, as well as Formula 1 events. It used 14 mirror domains to replicate stolen content and had recently launched an Android app that drew tens of thousands of viewers. The operation was monetised through informal advertising, exposing users to malware and data theft. Profits were funneled through cryptocurrency wallets, which were seized during the raid.

The investigation was spearheaded by ALIANZA, the Alliance Against Audiovisual Piracy, with technical support from La Liga, Spain’s top football league. Their data helped pinpoint the infrastructure and trace the digital footprint of the operation.

“Shishi” had cultivated a bold online persona, boasting on social media about his reach — over 100,000 followers — and claiming he was “untouchable”. His arrest sends a clear message: even the most elusive digital pirates can be tracked down.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

GRUNT: NOVA TO RAISE AD PRICES ONLY SLIGHTLY— ONEPLAY TO CATCH UP WITH TV BY 2030

TV Nova’s CEO, Daniel Grunt, confirms that Nova will increase TV advertising prices next year. However, the increase will not be as significant as last year. At the same time, he estimates that streaming revenues could match those from TV advertising around 2030.

Launched this March, the Oneplay platform is increasing its number of subscribers, according to Daniel Grunt, CEO of TV Nova. However, Nova does not officially disclose specific numbers, explaining that it values the time users spend on the platform more. According to data presented at the press conference for the autumn schedule, the average time spent on Oneplay per user is said to be up to 30 hours per week.

Although streaming is growing rapidly, television broadcasting remains important for Nova. Last year, TV advertising and other commercial messages on television generated CZK 5.9 billion, about 64% of total revenues. According to Daniel Grunt, the digital business is gradually becoming more significant as well. Revenues from subscriptions and online advertising exceeded CZK 1 billion last year, and by 2030, their share could match TV advertising revenues. “Streaming will grow in double digits, but traditional broadcasting still holds a stable position in the Czech Republic, which is why we continue to invest in it,” Grunt said in an interview with MediaGuru.cz.

He also comments on the future development of TV advertising prices. According to him, Nova will raise prices again in 2026, but not as significantly as in the past two years, when it aimed to reduce excessive sell-outs.

The interview also addresses the topic of cooperation with operators, the exclusivity of Oneplay, considerations about advertising layers in streaming, and the overall situation in the TV advertising market.

Oneplay, the platform combining the former Voyo and O2 TV, has been operating since March. What most of the market is interested in is how the merger has impacted the number of customers. How is the subscriber base developing?

With the launch of Oneplay, we decided that we would no longer disclose subscriber numbers. It was interesting and motivating for us when we started Voyo five years ago because it was a commitment. We set a goal to grow from tens of thousands to one million subscribers within five years. This was primarily an internal factor to motivate people to start taking a fundamentally different approach.

Are you no longer setting a similar goal now?

In the case of Oneplay, that’s not really the goal anymore, because Voyo, together with Slovakia, has nearly reached that million mark (editor’s note: the last published number was 950,000 subscribers in December 2024), and O2 TV was the largest IPTV service (editor’s note: with nearly a million users at the end of 2024). Since its launch, Oneplay has been a major platform. Now, it’s much more important for us to know how much time people spend on Oneplay. That’s why I talked about it today (editor’s note: at the press conference for the autumn schedule; the average time spent by one user on Oneplay is 30 hours per week). My goal with Oneplay is to create one central, most popular place — a single app where Czech households will come for content. We have combined two worlds that were not fully connected before. O2 TV viewers were essentially pay-TV customers who made minimal use of their video library and typically subscribed to Voyo or another VOD service alongside it. On the other hand, Voyo users consumed up to 99% of the VOD library but barely used our linear channels. That’s why it’s now crucial how the integrated service is structured, how the interface is set up, and how to present the most attractive content to people, regardless of whether it’s linear broadcasting or video library content. The goal is to keep viewers, so they don’t feel the need to go elsewhere.

Besides the average viewing time, you mentioned that the service is “growing right before our eyes.” Does this growth relate to both content and users?

Yes, when it comes to paying customers, the numbers are indeed growing. However, at this moment, it is far more important for us to quickly teach viewers from both segments—TV and VOD—to use the part of the content they haven’t accessed yet. Because once they start using it fully, they realise the value they get from Oneplay. Nowhere else on the market are Oneplay Originals or older Voyo Originals available. They won’t find the top Czech football or hockey leagues anywhere else, and nowhere else can they watch TV Nova’s own content without ads before it airs on TV. The more they take advantage of these benefits, the more the service will grow. At the same time, it’s a very effective tool to reduce the churn rate. As users spend more time on the platform, they feel less need to pay for additional services.

Will the merging of these “two worlds” affect the usage of the terrestrial platform? If so, by how much could IPTV grow?

We don’t think about it that way. Our key goal is combined reach with our content—that is, reach through both linear broadcasting and VOD, regardless of the distribution platform. But yes, it can generally be expected that people will increasingly use online distribution, which offers them greater comfort and benefits.

At this moment, it is far more important for us to quickly teach viewers from both segments—TV and VOD—to use the part of the content they haven’t accessed yet.

Daniel Grunt

How are you tracking the user statistics for Oneplay?

We have one set of statistics. At Nova, we collect data on viewership as well as business data such as “gross add,” meaning the number of new subscribers, and “net adds,” which is the ratio between new subscribers and those who have cancelled. We keep all of this statistical and business data.

If a customer paid for O2 TV, are they counted as a linear TV viewer or as a Oneplay user?

A user who pays for Oneplay through O2 (a former O2 TV customer) is considered an O2 customer. Oneplay is a single service, but it has two operators. Nova creates the platform, handles content and marketing, and owns Oneplay. However, for the O2 customer base, Oneplay is operated by O2, while for users who purchase the service directly without commitments, it is operated by Nova. Nova manages its own user database, and O2 manages theirs.

What has changed for you in your relationships with other operators as a result of this merger? Are you considering new forms of cooperation with other operators?

Since our company operates both streaming and linear channels, operators remain our partners from the perspective of linear channels. This is an important part of our revenue, whether it’s free-to-air channels—classic TV Nova channels—or paid sports channels. This area is of long-term interest to us. Then there is the streaming part, through which we offer something exclusive only for Nova and O2 viewers. Users can either purchase the service directly from us or through O2. There is no other way for users to access Oneplay.

Will it stay that way?

Never say never, but this is how we intend to keep it in the long term.

Users cannot access Oneplay anywhere else but through O2 or Nova. This is our long-term intention.

Daniel Grunt

The financial results of the Nova group from last year show that revenues from traditional TV advertising on Nova reached CZK 5 billion out of a total of CZK 9 billion, remaining the majority share.

Purely television advertising—including ads, sponsorships, and product placements—accounts for more than 60% of revenues. However, just three years ago, it was over 75%.

Online advertising and Voyo (now Oneplay) generated over CZK 1 billion in revenue last year. How is the volume of these revenues expected to change?

I believe it will grow in the long term for two reasons. First, the subscriber base will increase. And second, we have raised the price, which will lead to higher revenues.

How high could they become?

I estimate that around the year 2030, the share of revenues could be balanced. This means that television advertising will continue to be important for us. We are not giving up on these revenues, which is why we keep investing more and more in original content for linear channels. Although the TV market is slowly declining, it is not shrinking as quickly as in other European countries or the United States. Therefore, it is still worth focusing on content for traditional broadcasting. Our goal is to grow in a slightly declining market and increase our market share. And there is also streaming, which continues to grow rapidly, with double-digit growth. Since the launch of Voyo, we have been growing the fastest in the market.

We talked about the importance of operators. Although it is not explicitly disclosed in the income statement, it can be inferred that revenues from operators amount to around CZK 2 billion. Is that possible?

The two billion corresponds to the entire category of “other income,” which includes carriage fees. So the amount is actually lower, but revenues from operators of paid services for distributing our channels are the second highest after television advertising, followed by streaming.

Are you planning to raise TV advertising prices in 2026?

We will definitely increase prices, but I can’t say by how much yet. We are still evaluating it, but it certainly won’t be as much as in recent years (editor’s note: last year +22%). Over the past two years, we raised prices more to prevent maximum sell-out rates that we were facing. Nova was not used to having sell-out rates around 94-95%. Excessive sell-out reduces viewer experience and also lowers effectiveness for advertisers. We wanted to maintain the quality of the advertising product, so we took a more significant price increase.

Although the television market is slowly declining, it is not shrinking as quickly as in other European countries or the United States. Our goal is to grow in this market and increase our market share.

Daniel Grunt

Will you manage the volume of GRPs in VOD (Oneplay) by preventing ad skipping in catch-up viewing?

Last year, as we approached full sell-out, the need for additional GRPs was more urgent than it is this year. Many TV stations across Europe are gradually moving toward banning ad skipping. We have been considering this for several years as well, but so far, we have not decided whether or when we will implement such a measure. There are many factors involved in this decision.

Could an advertising layer also be introduced for Oneplay? Are you considering it?

That is, of course, also a possibility; however, it is not on the agenda at the moment. As I mentioned earlier, we want users to get familiar with the service and learn to use it fully.

What has changed in the TV advertising market that you are not under as much pressure to find additional capacity for GRPs? Is it due to Nova’s audience growth, or a slowdown in the advertising market?

It’s a combination of three factors. First, Nova is strengthening its share of viewership, which helps us. The second factor is that there is a sense of caution in the market this year. We expected the market to grow faster. I would describe this year’s development as between slight growth and stagnation. However, that is still very good, because last year saw significant growth. And the third factor is price increases, which have led to fewer GRPs being purchased for a similar amount of money.

Source: mediaguru.cz

LALIGA LAUNCHES NEW ANTI-PIRACY CAMPAIGN

With a string of new TV deals for the 2025/26 season, LaLiga is renewing its commitment to combat audiovisual piracy, which it says presents the biggest threat to the sports and entertainment industry.

LaLiga is urging sports fans to watch coverage through legal channels – in the UK this means Disney+ and Premier Sports.

Spanish football clubs alone lose an estimated €600–700 million annually resulting from unauthorised retransmissions.

However, the league is quick to point out that the penalties go beyond just financial losses. It estimates more than 50% of online viruses are linked to pirated content or illegal download platforms.

LaLiga has launched a campaign “You Get Pirated Football, They Get You”, highlighting the role of the criminal networks that are behind the illegal streams.

Spain remains one of the top countries in Europe for pirated audiovisual content consumption, especially among younger audiences, according to data from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

CZECH MEDIA ASSOCIATIONS AND PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA HAVE PREPARED A SELF-REGULATION DECALOGUE

On the occasion of the entry into force of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), Czech media associations and public service media presented a self-regulation decalogue reflecting the requirements of this European regulation. In the coming months, they will focus on adopting a memorandum to address the implementation processes of this decalogue.

As of 8 August, the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) comes into effect. This regulation introduces a range of tools to protect the freedom, plurality, and editorial independence of media across the European Union. For more than a year, entities operating in the Czech media market have been engaged with the question of how to meet the requirements of this Act relating to self-regulation.

The undersigned professional organisations hereby announce that they have agreed on the form of the so-called Decalogue for joint self-regulation of the sector. The form of the prepared self-regulation and the Decalogue is based on principles supporting media freedom while maintaining a high level of transparency and accountability to the public. By this step, the signatories confirm their commitment to adhere to the principles formulated in the Decalogue.

The defence of freedom of expression and a free media environment is an integral part of the self-regulation system. The undersigned organisations jointly declare that, thanks to this consensus, they are prepared to fulfil the role assigned to them under the EMFA. The participating entities will act as partners to both very large online platforms (VLOPs) and the state and other public institutions, in all areas where the EMFA envisions a role for self-regulation.

Additional information will be available on the signatories’ websites throughout September.

Association of Commercial Television (Asociace komerčních televizí, AKTV), contact: Marie Fianová
Association of Online Publishers (Asociace online vydavatelů, AOV), contact: Lucie Sýkorová
Association of Private Broadcasting Operators (Asociace provozovatelů soukromého vysílání, APSV), contact: Jan Neumann
Czech National Committee of International Press Institute (Český národní výbor Mezinárodního tiskového institute, CZ IPI), contact: Robert Čásenský
Czech Radio (Český rozhlas, ČRo), contact: Lidija Erlebachová
Czech Television (Česká televize, ČT), contact: press office
Czech News Agency (Česká tisková kancelář, ČTK), contact: Petr Orálek
Czech Publishers’ Association (Česká unie vydavatelů, ČUV), contact: Tomáš Tkačík
Association of Internet Development (Sdružení pro internetový rozvoj v ČR, SPIR), contact: Filip Dotlačil
Czech Syndicate of Journalists (Syndikát novinářů ČR, SN ČR), contact: Ivana Šuláková

PRIMA AIMS TO ATTRACT COMPETITORS’ VIEWERS WITH ITS AUTUMN PROGRAMMING

With this autumn’s programming lineup, Prima aims to move toward more aspirational content. “We want to surprise viewers to some extent while still delivering what they expect from us,” says Prima CEO Marek Singer.

The Prima media group is entering the autumn season with new series Polabí and Mladá krev, the return of Zdeněk Pohlreich, the second season of the psychological reality show Zrádci, and the development of its digital platform prima+. In addition to classic television broadcasting, it is focusing on building a regular offering for streaming audiences, testing thematic FAST channels, and preparing technological support for targeted advertising in cooperation with operators.

In an interview with Prima Group CEO Marek Singer, we talked about programming strategy, expectations for the main autumn releases, developments in the advertising market, and how Prima sees its role in the hybrid television and digital world.

The series Polabí, which Dramedy Productions is preparing for Prima, can be described as the key new release this autumn on Prima. The description indicates that the style of the new release is different from the existing Tuesday and Thursday romantic series, such as Slunečná, ZOO, and Kamarádi. Was that your intention?

We wanted a change. With its romantic relationship series genre, Slunečná was perfectly timed for the COVID period, and thanks to that, it appealed to a large audience. Logically, we then built other series in a similar vein to build on its popularity. But I think it’s time to give viewers a break from modern romantic fairy tales. So, we started thinking about a different genre. Filip Bobiňski came up with the idea for the series Polabí, which we liked. It’s another longer format, an 80-episode series, but this time with a crime storyline, authentically set in everyday life. I would describe it as less fairy-tale-like and more based on life in a small Czech town. Polabí has a distinctive atmosphere, a fresh cast, and a narrative style that is different from our previous series.

Based on the trailers and initial episodes released, Polabí differs from Prima’s previous long-running series in its production approach. We should also mention that Polabí will replace the series Kamarádi, which is moving to Wednesday evenings from the autumn, a slot that has previously been reserved for detective shows on Prima. What were your thoughts and considerations about this change?

The style of Polabí is different. I would say it is significantly more civil and realistic. That’s neither good nor bad. I don’t mean to say that romantic fairy tales no longer have a place. They have their audience. Kamarádi is such a modern fairy tale. With exaggeration, I would compare the series to Beverly Hills 90210. Thanks to the combination of a romantic series and a more realistic one, such as Kamarádi and Polabí, we achieve a good balance in our programming portfolio.

What do you expect in terms of viewership? Do you think Polabí could surpass Prima’s previous results in the Tuesday and Thursday slots?

I firmly believe so. It’s new, and that brings both opportunities and threats. It’s really hard to predict. The threat is that viewers won’t like the new type of storytelling, which they are not used to. The opportunity is that we will be able to reach a new audience.

I think viewers who like series and the Dramedy Productions style (Editor’s note: Vyprávěj, Kukačky, Zlatá labuť, etc.) will like Polabí. We are also targeting the trailers differently – more suspense, a little mystery… We want to attract new viewers for Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Ideally, we should retain our existing viewers and add new ones to achieve higher ratings.

So, is the goal to appeal to viewers of the public channel, which in recent seasons has been showing foreign series on Tuesdays and Thursdays?

As I said, we want new viewers. I believe that the new series Polabí will also appeal to ČT viewers and that every viewer will find something to their liking thanks to the narrative structure.

Apart from the fact that Polabí is new, and so we can only estimate the ratings it will achieve, another unknown factor is the possible impact of your main commercial competitor, Nova, which is also launching a new series, Bratři a sestry, at the same time.

Of course, it’s also a new series, and there are more unknown aspects. I expect a battle between the series. Quality is important, but the results always depend on various factors.

And your guess? Could it end in a draw?

I have no idea, I haven’t seen the competing series. The theme is also interesting. Whether the result will be a divided audience remains to be seen. It has happened before. Previous series have also divided audiences according to target groups (Editor’s note: the series Kamarádi won in the 18–69 age group, Jedna rodina in the 15–54 age group).

The threat is that viewers won’t like the new type of storytelling, which they are not used to. The opportunity is that we will be able to reach a new audience.

Marek Singer

Prima’s autumn schedule will also feature a new crime series called Mladá krev. Can you give us a brief introduction? What kind of crime series will it be?

Mladá krev (Young Blood) is a more serious crime series than what Prima viewers have been used to in the past. The script was written by Alice Nellis and she did a really excellent job. It’s not an entertaining detective story like Polda. The basic plot revolves around two generations of criminal investigators who have to work together in one place. They don’t get along very well, which leads to various situations and relationships. So it’s mainly about the clash of experiences, approaches, and mentalities.

Is the series based on a foreign source, or is it an original idea?

It’s an original script. Each episode focuses on a single case, while an overarching storyline connects the entire series.

Are you considering a second season?

If Mladá krev proves successful, there may well be more seasons. It’s a classic genre, but with an original twist in the form of a clash between two generations. The series also has an excellent cast, and I believe both generations of actors can appeal to the audience.

After many years, Zdeněk Pohlreich is also returning with his show Ano, šéfe! (Yes, Chef!). Do you think it has a chance of building on the success of the early seasons, which were a phenomenon in their day?

They say you can’t step into the same river twice, and Zdeněk himself feels the same way. He also knows that Yes, Chef! can’t be done the same way it was before. When he started, gastronomy was in a completely different state, and there were many pubs with shortcomings. Today, operators are more experienced. But at the same time, they often face more difficult conditions after COVID-19, because the entire industry has been under pressure since then. Zdeněk sees the new series as a mission to raise the profile of quality gastronomy and show that it has its place in society. He is at his best – funny, tough when he needs to be, but of course older and calmer. For his fans, who love him, it will be a welcome return.

We have already mentioned that you have long held a detective line on Wednesdays, but now that is changing a bit with Kamarádi. Friday traditionally belongs to the show Máme rádi Česko, Saturday to the new detective series Mladá krev, and Sunday to the second season of the psychological reality show Zrádci (The Traitors). The latter is generating a lot of excitement. How do you feel about that?

It will be really interesting because the phenomenon of the first series of The Traitors grew gradually with each episode. It will depend greatly on how successfully viewers are presented with the fact that this is a different story. Just as good, maybe even better, but mainly different. The second series features different characters, so they can’t play the same game as the players in the first series. They simply play differently. Thanks to the skilled direction of Markus Krug, I believe the second season could be even more successful than the first.

The first season clearly made an impact beyond television, which is reflected in the immediate rollout of derivative formats for the second season, including an aftershow, cinema screenings with discussions starting from the first episode, and a podcast.

Definitely. The Traitors is one of the first formats that works for us outside of traditional television broadcasting, and we are producing it for our VOD offering (Editor’s note: prima+). We want to create these kinds of “waves,” but we still have to learn how. We learned in the first season, and now we’ll see how far we can go with the second.

The phenomenon of the first series of The Traitors gradually developed with each episode. It will depend greatly on how successfully viewers are presented with the fact that this is a different story.

Marek Singer

Let’s stay with Monday prime time. Last year, you said that it was a difficult evening due to strong competition from detective shows on both main rival channels (Specialisté on Nova and Oktopus 2 on ČT1 starting in September). Have you found a long-term solution?

We are currently dealing with Mondays through tactical interventions, specifically films. In general, we invest where we see a reasonable return, even in the face of tough competition. So far, we haven’t found a format that can break Monday evenings. We don’t want to try something just for the sake of it, because that’s very expensive. That’s why we’re playing it safe, focusing on slots that work for us and investing there.

If you had to sum up Prima’s entire autumn programme in one sentence, how would you define it?

I would say it’s a shift towards slightly more demanding content. We can see that the whole market is moving towards more aspirational content, and we are trying to follow that trend. We want to pleasantly surprise viewers while offering them what they expect from us.

On the prima+ video platform, you have already tried out a number of formats over the past year, including previews and your own content produced exclusively for online viewing. How does VOD work alongside linear broadcasting? Do the two worlds of linear and non-linear broadcasting make sense together?

They do make sense, but a lot depends on the specific title and how successful you are at getting “content trains” started for individual target groups. If you want to keep viewers on an online service, it’s not enough to offer them one title a year. We’ve seen that three, maybe four programme genres work very well in streaming. The key is to build content continuity so that viewers not only come to the online service and register but also pay and stay. That’s something we’re building now. We already have a pretty good foundation in the docu-crime genre. For big reality shows, we’re relying on The Traitors, to which we’ll be adding a new show next spring. We will start with drama in the autumn and expect to complete it within a year. That’s a task for Jan Maxa. If we succeed, there is a chance to monetise the content, either through subscriptions or advertising.

If you sell one GRP on television now, how many prima+ subscribers will compensate you financially?

That can be calculated. We know how much a GRP costs, we know how much a subscription costs, we deduct VAT, operating costs… The cost structure is similar in both cases. In-house production is more expensive than acquisition, but when we look at the entire portfolio, streaming currently brings lower margins than traditional television—not just for us, but for everyone. But that’s how things are developing. The world is changing, and we have to adapt. There will be more models online as well, and we will try to use various methods to get the most out of every viewer, not only through subscriptions but also through advertising. Within two years, we will see new opportunities in advertising thanks to new technologies.

How many subscribers does prima+ currently have?

We currently have 1.4 million registered users, 21% of whom are paying subscribers. That’s just under 300,000 users.

For now, streaming brings lower margins than traditional television—not just for us, but for everyone. But that’s how things are developing. The world is changing, and we have to adapt.

Marek Singer

In the past, you said that Prima wanted to appeal to linear and non-linear viewers, as well as those who watch HbbTV. How do you see the potential of FAST channels?

FAST channels are interesting, but so far, they are more of a supplement. They work well when there is a large library available that can be sorted by theme and monetised through advertising. However, it has to be as automated as possible because profitability is not high. I estimate that FAST channels will start to appear more with IPTV operators. It will no longer be as static an environment as has been so far. Channel lineups will become more tailored to what users want on a particular service.

Is Prima planning its own FAST channel?

In the autumn, we will try something like a “seasonal FAST channel” in cooperation with Vodafone. It will be a channel built around The Traitors, but it will not be only about them. If everything goes well, it will be the first step in this direction. It is a seasonal channel for this autumn.

The IPTV market has been influenced by the merger of O2 TV and Voyo into the Oneplay platform this year. Do you see this as a fundamental change?

It is significant in the sense that the competition has consolidated the subscriber base of Voyo and O2 TV. They know how much overlap they have. Since a lot of people who didn’t have O2 had Voyo, it’s interesting for them. It’s hard to say how much it will affect other operators. It will definitely have some effect. We’ll see what impact it will have on terrestrial TV, because it would be logical for Voyo and O2 TV subscribers to watch TV via O2. So far, however, it seems that viewers were watching channels via an antenna and had Voyo in addition to that. We will definitely change the way we work with other operators. We will seek further strategic cooperation, not only with Vodafone, because the merger of Voyo and O2 has essentially opened up the other half of the market for cooperation.

In addition to Vodafone, you also have a partnership with the Scandinavian VOD service Viaplay. This will give prima+ viewers access to titles from Viaplay’s offering. Is this a long-term project?

Yes, it is a multi-year contract with a relatively large volume of content. Viaplay has really high-quality titles – not only crime series that are well known throughout Europe, but also reality shows and documentaries. The catalogue is gradually expanding, and a relatively large part of the offering is changed every year. This is exclusive content that Czech viewers will not see anywhere else.

We will strive for further strategic cooperation, not only with Vodafone, because the merger of Voyo and O2 has essentially opened up the second half of the market for cooperation.

Marek Singer

Let’s return to television. Despite the development of VOD services, television advertising revenues remain the main source of funding. How would you assess this year’s developments in the television advertising market?

I would describe it as less certain. The first half of the year was comparable to last year, perhaps slightly better, but the summer has been weaker. Now we will see what autumn brings.

Are you planning a significant increase in TV advertising prices for next year?

We will raise prices, but the question is by how much. With the number of people watching television declining, we cannot maintain current advertising prices. I don’t want to speculate on the exact increase, but I expect it to be higher than a few per cent.

And how do you respond to clients who say that their target audience is under 40?

We hear that a lot. But if you say that your target audience under 40 is the only thing you’re interested in, then you’re automatically excluding at least a third of your potential customers, which doesn’t make sense to me from a marketing perspective. The reality of Czech demographics is that older audiences are key, even if not everyone admits it.

I don’t want to speculate on the exact increase, but I expect the growth in TV advertising prices to be higher than a few per cent.

Marek Singer

Are you planning any changes to your channel portfolio in the near future? You were considering launching new stations Prima Port and Prima Case. What is the current situation?

We are not planning any new stations in the autumn. We will focus more on modifying the existing ones. We will adapt the content and positioning of individual channels to better suit their target audiences. If a channel starts to stray from our intended direction, we will steer it back on course. However, this is an ongoing process and is not necessarily tied to the start of autumn.

We are preparing a new channel in Slovakia, where we will launch the Slovak version of Prima Krimi on 1 September. This will complete our portfolio for the Slovak market.

In June, you reported the consolidated revenue of the entire Prima group, including radio and online, for last year. It was approximately CZK 7 billion. You stated that the largest part of this was television advertising. Did you see a year-on-year shift in the share of VOD and other digital income in total revenues?

Television advertising remains the main source of revenue, but it is clear that digital segments are growing. Personally, I see an opportunity in inserted advertising, which is a matter of technological adjustments and negotiations with operators, which are currently underway. The percentage of non-linear revenues will definitely grow. How fast, I don’t know, but I can imagine that within five years, the share of linear and non-linear revenues could be balanced. It depends on whether we can take the best of television and the best of online and offer it in a single product.

I can imagine that within five years, the share of linear and non-linear revenues could be balanced.

Marek Singer, CEO, FTV Prima

He has been CEO of FTV Prima since March 2008, with a break from January 2013 to May 2015, when he was Executive Vice President of MTG for Central and Eastern Europe. He spent the first eight years of his career at Unilever in Europe and the United States. From 2002, he spent four years as marketing and then sales director at Masterfoods. In the following two years, he worked as sales and marketing director at Karlovarské minerální vody, with responsibility for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Source: mediaguru.cz

CZECH TELEVISION DEFENDS ITS LEAD IN JULY, NOVA CONTINUES TO SHOW THE HIGHEST GROWTH

The first month of summer vacation saw Czech Television take the lead in television ratings among the broader audience group aged 15 and older. However, commercial broadcasters strengthened their position year-on-year, especially the Nova group.

In July, the stations of Czech Television defended their position as the most watched television group with a 29.48% share of all-day viewing in the universal group aged 15 and over. They also achieved the highest share in this audience group during prime time. The Nova group remained the strongest in the 15-54 and 18-69 audience groups. This is shown by official data from ATO-Nielsen.

Czech Television maintained its lead despite a year-on-year decline in its share. This was mainly due to a decline in the sports channel ČT sport, which last year in the same month benefited from the broadcast of the European Football Championship and the start of the Olympic Games in Paris. This year, the Nova group benefited most from this in the 15-54 age group, increasing its share in this audience group by 4.5 percentage points year-on-year during prime time.

The Nova group confirmed its position as the fastest growing domestic television group in the first month of the summer holidays. The Prima group also improved year-on-year in July, as did its direct commercial competitors in all main viewer groups. Televize Seznam also continues to report higher audience shares than in the same period last year.

Nova leads the stations, ČT1 is the climber

The highest share in the universal 15+ group belongs to the main channel TV Nova (16.83%), followed by ČT1 (15.10%) and the main channel TV Prima (9.80%). The biggest year-on-year improvement was achieved by ČT1 (+1.27 pb), followed by Nova Gold (+0.85 pb to 2.87%), CNN Prima News (+0.81 pp to 2.53%) and ČT24 (+0.64 pp to 4.72%). On the other hand, the biggest year-on-year decline was recorded by ČT sport (-5.50 pp), which broadcast Euro 2024 in July last year and also included the first week of the Olympic Games in Paris.

July’s most watched program was Policie Modrava

The most watched program in July was a rerun of Policie Modrava (TV Nova) with 1.03 million viewers aged 15+ (episode broadcast on July 27). In addition to the news programs Počasí (Nova), Sportovní noviny (Nova) and Televizní noviny (Nova), reruns of the series Specialisté were also among the top programs.

Source: mediaguru.cz