JumpTV Inc., the world's leading broadcaster of ethnic television over the Internet, announced it has signed an Internet-broadcast agreement with Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (RTR) to broadcast its international signal (RTR Planeta) exclusively in certain territories.
RTR Planeta features top programming from RTR's three leading channels: "Russia," "Kultura" and "Sport" and specializes in Russian primetime news, sports, feature films, documentaries and made for TV movies.
Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, president and chief executive officer of JumpTV International said, "There are over 12 million Russians living outside of the country, concentrated mainly in Israel, the USA, Canada and Western Europe. We are thrilled to be able to offer this massive community an easy and affordable way to access the quality content they know and love from home."
"Having worked with similar caliber channels, JumpTV understood our market dynamic and was more than happy to walk us through the complex process of proper digital rights management," said Sergei Koshliakov, head of foreign relations for RTR Planeta. "As Internet protocol television (IPTV) continues to gain momentum, we are confident that JumpTV's distribution platform and business model will give RTR the competitive edge to attract a significant user base from the millions of potential viewers living in the Russian diaspora."
RTR Planeta will be priced at US$9.95 per month when launched commercially and will likely become part of a future bundle of Russian channels. JumpTV subscribers will be able to access the channel's top programs including: the entertaining sports program "National Team of Russia," award-winning talk show "Cultural Revolution," and weekly celebrity game show "Bluff Club."
The RTR Planeta contract was signed subsequent to the Company's June 30, 2006 quarter end disclosure. JumpTV now has 221 channels under license.