Melita is to launch high definition programming and a state-of-the-art personal video recorder set-top box in time for the 2010 World Cup, company chairman Joe Gasan told The Times Business.

Melita has just signed an agreement with national broadcaster PBS, which owns the rights to the South Africa tournament, to air 64 World Cup matches with English commentary on its sports channel line-up. The games will also be available on a dedicated HD channel.

It is the first time PBS has entered into such an agreement. The national station is to air 46 matches with a commentary in Maltese, more than double the 22 games to be aired by Italian state broadcaster RAI.

Meanwhile, Melita is in discussions to have Italian commentary for the Italy games it is scheduled to air.

With concurrent availability of the HD-ready PVR set-top box, Melita subscribers will be able to fully personalise their World Cup viewing with the ability to pause, rewind and record matches, besides other programming.

"What better way to introduce HD than with the World Cup?" Mr Gasan said. "Notwithstanding the economic climate and the increased competition, Melita continued to increase its subscribers and revenue in 2009. The company has a very good product and offers value for money, which is why the board has decided to continue to invest in this very visible area."

Melita believes tens of thousands of people will watch the World Cup in households and at entertainment venues across the country.

Subscribers to Melita's HD offering will gain access to 10 HD channels - including dedicated Discovery, National Geographic and i-concerts - a live pop and rock concert channel shot in high definition - besides the HD channel showing World Cup fixtures. Throughout the tournament, Melita's HD sports channel will be co-branded TVM HD.

Melita subscribers are already able to register their interest in the early bird HD offering at www.melita.com. As Melita's exclusive TV rights to the English and Italian football leagues run out at the end of the season, this new investment falls under the company's pledge to direct equivalent and additional funds to upgrade its entire TV offering.

Despite retaining rights for the UEFA Champions League for two more seasons and rights to Spain's La Liga for another three, Melita plans to reduce sports content fees from next season, the chairman said. He added that reduced rates are already available to subscribers of all four of the company's services.

Mr Gasan reiterated Melita's commitment to almost double its TV line-up to 150 channels by June, and said its newest additions have already been well received, particularly Food Network and Investigation Discovery.

He pointed out Melita is to address the demand for specific programming from niche groups of viewers - the recent introduction of Channel 1 Russia has proven highly popular with the growing Russian community living in Malta. Other community channels are in the pipeline.

The company is seeking to increase its movie content, particularly with a view to launching a video-on-demand platform and an improved movie package later in the year.

The new set-top box will be compatible with a video-on-demand proposition.

Mr Gasan pointed out that this new technology involved "substantial" investment. Melita will direct over €10 million into upgrading TV, broadband and mobile services this year.

At least €3 million will be invested in improving Melita Mobile's nationwide mobile coverage to match the competition's.

"We are the only growing fixed and mobile telephony operator in Malta based on customers, revenues and traffic growth," Mr Gasan said.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.