Due to changes in the Russian pay-TV market the Universal Networks International shut down channels Universal Channel and E! Entertainment Television since May 1.
The company declares that such actions are derived from the economic situation in the Russian advertising market and changes in the national legislation, which complicated the broadcasters’ operation.
As Mediasat reported before, the large foreign broadcaster the Universal Networks International announced its possible departure from the Russian market at the beginning of present year, when those new legal acts came into effect, limiting the TV channels’ earnings from advertising on Russian pay-TV channels. Only the film and television intermediaries like the Universal Pictures and the NBCUniversal Television Distribution will continue operating within the territory of the Russian Federation.
We shall recall that the pay-TV market in Russia lost 60% of its earnings after the State Duma’s veto on advertising.
Universal Channel is the channel broadcasting foreign TV serials and movies. It started broadcasting in Russia in May 2008. According to TNS Russia, the channel’s average daily audience was 1.45 million.
E! Entertainment Television is the entertainment channel devoted to the female audience, which replaced the pre-existing Diva Universal. The Russian version of the E! was launched on April 25 of the past year, but along that time it attracted the average daily audience of 0,41 million viewers (by TNS Russia).
Both channels stopped broadcasting on May 1 of present year.
