NTV+ launches international package 

Russian pay TV provider NTV+ has launched an international package of 25 channels that will be made available to subscribers outside Russia via mobile apps. 

The International pack will be available initially to users of iOS and Android devices for a cost US$3.99 a month. The service will include key standard features of the NTV+ service such as catch-up TV, pause live TV and rewind.

The initial line-up of 25 channels spanning news, entertainment and factual genres will be expanded as and when agreements are secured to remove geo-blocking of services.

Konstantin Smirnov, director of NTV+’s digital products department, said that the launch met the growing demand for Russian-language TV content from expatriates and Russians abroad. He said the biggest challenge was clearing rights for international distribution and added that the operator was “constantly working on this” to increase the value of the new service.