Pay television in the Philippines will have a new player within this year, as fiber internet service provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is planning to launch its own direct-to-home services.
Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy shared with reporters last week that his company has already secured a direct-to-home franchise, granting it the right to offer DTH services to customers in the Philippines. He mentioned that the company wants to offer its pay TV services soon. Initial testing is underway in Pampanga, with full rollout of the services anticipated to happen later this year.
The company plans to utilize satellite technology to deliver its pay TV services, targeting remote, underserved areas currently beyond the reach of fiber connectivity. Interested customers will be able to subscribe at different price points, starting from Php99 and up to Php299. Uy also revealed the services would be available as bundled packages, with Netflix offered as a separate subscription option.
In the meantime, Converge is already providing an entertainment service named Vision, which includes an Android TV device that enables subscribers to access up to 88 channels for Php299. It was launched in 2021 in partnership with Pacific KabelNet.
As the newest contender in the pay TV industry, Converge is poised to compete with established players such as Cignal Cable and Sky Cable. The latter was on the verge of being acquired by PLDT and discontinuing its pay TV services this month, but the deal ultimately fell through. Sky Cable then announced its intention to continue offering cable TV services.
After the aborted acquisition deal with PLDT, Converge also expressed interest in potentially striking a deal with Sky Cable. However, Uy mentioned that he has yet to receive any proposals from the Lopez Group, which owns Sky Cable, and emphasized his readiness to invest in the company.