Deutsche Telekom announced a refresh of its IPTV service, with a new name, interface and more content. The EntertainTV service becomes MagentaTV, adopting the brand used on Telekom's mobile and fixed-mobile packages. It will also now be available on a standalone basis, without a Telekom broadband subscription, for EUR 7.95 per month.
All existing TV customers will automatically receive MagentaTV via an automatic software update. The service comes with an updated user interface, offering a personalized home page, combining both live TV and video-on-demand content, and quick access to films or TV shows already started. The new search function also enables customers to search across all channels and providers.
In addition, Telekom announced an exclusive partnership with public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, for MagentaTV to offer on-demand access to content that was previously only available for a limited time in the media libraries of ARD and ZDF. Under ARD Plus and ZDF select as well as ARD Plus Kids and ZDFtivi select, MagentaTV customers can find more than 8,000 titles available without time limit, at no extra cost.
The ARD and ZDF content is part of the new 'Megathek', bringing together all of the VoD content on MagentaTV. This includes the exclusive Telekom series, co-productions and in-house productions, and other on-demand content, for a total of more than 10,000 titles. The Megathek is free for all MagentaTV customers.
The new standalone MagentaTV will include around 75 channels, of which 45 in HD, and access to the Megathek, Videoload, Telekom Sport, Magenta Musik and pay-TV options from Telekom. No minimum contract is required, and customers can access the service initially though apps for iOS and Android, Chromecast and a web client. Further delivery channels will be introduced later, the company said.
The new MagentaTV will be promoted in an advertising campaign featuring Christian Ulmen and Fahri Yardim with the tagline 'One for Everything' (Einfach eins fur alles). The launch also coincides with the start of Telekom's first in-house production 'Deutsch-Les-Landes' on 01 November.