Vivendi’s GVT abandons plan for pay TV joint venture

Vivendi’s Brazilian subsidiary GVT has ended discussions with US DTH provider EchoStar about launching a joint pay TV venture in South America’s largest country.

Vivendi said that it remains “firmly committed to accelerating the deployment of GVT’s pay TV business” and that  “GVT will be pursuing its active growth development in this field by its own”.

The partnership between GVT and EchoStar was announced just over two months ago. The pair planned to create a pay TV platform ahead of next year’s World Cup that would be controlled by GVT and would have made use of the its IP network as well as EchoStar’s expertise in satellite technology and video. EchoStar would also have contributed its licences in the country to create a hybrid platform delivered over the internet and via satellite.