Nordic pay TV outfit Allente taps 3SS and Kaonmedia for upgraded service

Allente, the new pay TV provider resulting from the recent merger between Viasat Consumer and Canal Digital in the Nordic market, his to deploy set-top boxes and middleware from Kaonmedia alongside Android TV specialist 3SS-enabled viewing experience enhancements across its aggregated 1.2 million subscriber base.

Allente is building upon its 3SS-provided OnePlace satellite and OTT service that Canal Digital launched in the Nordic markets in 2018, whcih is based on the Android TV Operator Tier.

The merger of Viasat Consumer and Canal Digital was EU-approved and completed in May 2020. The combined company and its consumer offering, rebranded as Allente, offers TV distribution via satellite, streaming and other services including IPTV and fibre broadband via open networks to an aggregated total of 1.2 million customers in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

Allente’s new hybrid Kaon DVR STB will be deployed this year in a phased rollout. Online OTT viewing will be enabled first, followed by DTH satellite-delivered TV, and later, DVR capability and IPTV will be introduced. Kaon middleware is integrated with Google’s Android TV software stack to enable new pre-certified Android TV capabilities such as custom over-the-air update.

Part of Allente’s technology evolution is the migration of OnePlace from Android N to Android P compliancy, including on existing OnePlace STBs.

OnePlace provides next-generation UHD entertainment and features a 3SS-developed custom launcher.

3SS is developing additional new UI features in partnership with Allente, which will feature on the entire STB population. Among these are catch-up TV collapsing, which will make searching for an episode in a series catalogue easier. Additionally, all OnePlace receivers will feature electronic sell-through with more buy and rent options for subscribers.

“Delivering these new powerful STBs to our audiences is a major milestone as we open our new chapter as Allente. Thanks to our key partners, Kaon and 3SS, we are well-equipped to further build on our award-winning successes, and we look forward to providing even better experiences to our valued subscribers,” said Jon Espen Nergård, Allente CTO.

“The highly fragmented and competitive entertainment landscape today is more challenging than ever for operators, and the need to provide superior experiences for subscribers is business-essential; we are honoured to have been selected by Allente, a true world leader, to help deliver first-class experiences to viewers today and tomorrow,” said Tom Buhl, KAON Media Executive Vice President.

“We are extremely proud that Allente continues to trust our team to help deliver advanced TV entertainment to consumers across the Nordic region,” said Kai-Christian Borchers, Managing Director of 3SS.

“We look forward to collaborating with KAON to help Allente delight even more consumers with captivating, next-level viewing experiences.”