Report: Russian major pay TV operator raises basic tariff price 25%

MOSCOW, Aug 1 (PRIME) -- Major Russian satellite TV operator National Satellite Company, working under the Tricolor TV brand, increased the subscription fee for its basic package by 25% to 1,500 rubles per year from July 18, business daily Vedomosti reported late Tuesday on its website, citing a statement of the company.

The National Satellite Company raised prices for the last time in early 2015 when it introduced the basic package, and the price rose then to 1,200 rubles per year from 600–900 rubles, and a part of compulsory public channels disappeared from free access.

Researcher Telecom Daily’s General Director Denis Kuskov said the rise of tariffs is one of few ways to increase revenue for satellite TV operators, while a range of additional services is limited due to technological features of satellite connection.

The audience of pay TV in the country is almost stable, and revenue could be raised only at the expense of the already engaged subscribers, Kuskov said, adding that the tariff rise will bring the National Satellite Company some 3.6 billion rubles of additional revenue per year, and subscribers will not migrate to other operators.

The National Satellite Company serviced slightly more than 12.2 million subscribers as of the end of March, or 29% of the country’s pay TV audience.

(62.3497 rubles – U.S. $1)

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