18 Cable Channels Cease Broadcasting in Indonesia from October

Starting 1^st October 2021, media and entertainment company Disney has decided to stop broadcasting 18 cable TV channels in Indonesia.

This makes all TV subscribers in Indonesia, using companies such as First Media, Indovision, Nexmedia, MNC Sky Vision, and Indihome, no longer able to access the 18 channels. Disney’s policy to stop broadcasting these 18 TV channels also applies to all regions of Southeast Asia, plus Hong Kong.

Although the TV channels can no longer be enjoyed on cable TV services, users will still be able to watch them through the Disney Plus Hotstar streaming service, which is now available in the country.

The reason Disney decided to stop broadcasting the channels was because of a change in business strategy. Disney admits that it is focussing on switching to a business model based on streaming services.

“This is a global effort by The Walt Disney Company to shift to a D2C (direct to consumer) model and further develop streaming services,” Disney said.

Disney added it would consolidate its main media network business in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong to be more efficient and effective with current and future business needs.

Investment analyst Richard Greenfield said that pay-TV subscription plans have been undermined by the company’s strategy of supporting the streaming service business.

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“Companies like Disney are more concerned with releasing exclusive content on their own streaming platforms than putting it on their programming channels on cable TV,” said Greenfield.

Quoted in Variety, most of the broadcasts that are being stopped by Disney are channels that Disney acquired from 21st Century Fox in 2019, namely:

1. Fox
2. Fox Crime
3. Fox Life
4. FX
5. Channel V
6. Fox Action Movies
7. Fox Family Movies
8. Fox Movies
9. Star Movies China
10. Fox Sports
11. Fox Sports 2
12. Fox Sports 3
13. Star Sports 1
14. Star Sports 2
15. Disney Channel
16. Disney Junior
17. Nat Geo People
18. SCM Legend

Once these channels cease broadcasting, there will be four Disney-owned channels available in Indonesia and across the region, namely:

1. Star Chinese Channel
2. Star Chinese Movies
3. National Geographic Channel
4. Nat Geo Wild

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