Germans pony up for pay TV
Feevee Premiere on track for sub goals
The web reported that it has passed the threshold of 2.8 million subscribers at the end of October, noting that the mark was reached earlier than expected. At the year's beginning, when subscribers totaled 2.6 million, the web's topper, Georg Kofler, announced that 2.9 million would be on stream by year-end, helped by basic packages for new customers at $5 per month.
Figures could be boosted by the fact that last week Premiere switched off its former transmission system, Betacrypt, which it estimates had been accessible for 1 million illegal viewers through manipulated smart cards. Kofler believes that 20% of those viewers are potential new subscribers. "After all, they did already pay for Premiere, but to the wrong people -- the card dealers," Kofler said.
Premiere has also executed its option for live broadcasts of national soccer league Bundesliga, which it secured until 2006.
