FRANKFURT, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Loss-making pay TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland and Deutsche Telekom are in talks to renew their TV cooperation, two people close to the negotiations said on Friday.
Deutsche Telekom is considering adding some of Sky Deutschland's channels to its TV platform Entertain, one of the people told Reuters.
The German incumbent was especially interested in Sky Deutschland's movie channels in HD quality of which Sky has four, the person said, but added Deutsche Telekom was in no hurry and was in talks with other providers as well.
Sky Deutschland would be interested in an even closer tie-up with Deutsche Telekom so its complete pay-TV programme including premier league soccer broadcasts would be available on the Entertain platform, a person familiar with Sky Deutschland's thinking said.
In an ideal world the two would agree on a marketing partnership as well, that person said.
Deutsche Telekom and Sky Deutschland have cooperated in the past but the partnership was terminated when the telecom group launched its own Bundesliga soccer broadcasts in mid-2009.
Sky Deutschland, which is 49.9 percent owned by News Corp , is keen to increase customer figures by entering alliances with cable companies and others who offer TV packages.
It recently announced an alliance with German cable company Kabel Baden Wuerttemberg.
Sky Deutschland's main draw is the right to show German premier league soccer live. It also shows movies, documentaries, drama series such as 'Lost' and pornography.
(Reporting by Peter Maushagen; Writing by Nicola Leske; Editing by David Holmes)
((nicola.leske@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1214; Reuters Messaging: nicola.leske.reuters.com@reuters.net) ($1=.7253 Euro)
Keywords: SKYDEUTSCHLAND DEUTSCHETELEKOM/
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Deutsche Telekom is considering adding some of Sky Deutschland's channels to its TV platform Entertain, one of the people told Reuters.
The German incumbent was especially interested in Sky Deutschland's movie channels in HD quality of which Sky has four, the person said, but added Deutsche Telekom was in no hurry and was in talks with other providers as well.
Sky Deutschland would be interested in an even closer tie-up with Deutsche Telekom so its complete pay-TV programme including premier league soccer broadcasts would be available on the Entertain platform, a person familiar with Sky Deutschland's thinking said.
In an ideal world the two would agree on a marketing partnership as well, that person said.
Deutsche Telekom and Sky Deutschland have cooperated in the past but the partnership was terminated when the telecom group launched its own Bundesliga soccer broadcasts in mid-2009.
Sky Deutschland, which is 49.9 percent owned by News Corp , is keen to increase customer figures by entering alliances with cable companies and others who offer TV packages.
It recently announced an alliance with German cable company Kabel Baden Wuerttemberg.
Sky Deutschland's main draw is the right to show German premier league soccer live. It also shows movies, documentaries, drama series such as 'Lost' and pornography.
(Reporting by Peter Maushagen; Writing by Nicola Leske; Editing by David Holmes)
((nicola.leske@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1214; Reuters Messaging: nicola.leske.reuters.com@reuters.net) ($1=.7253 Euro)
Keywords: SKYDEUTSCHLAND DEUTSCHETELEKOM/
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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