PRIMA SPORT WILL BROADCAST SPARTA’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH, WHICH WILL SERVE AS THE HIGHLIGHT FOR THE CHANNEL’S OFFICIAL LAUNCH ON 17 AUGUST

Prima will air AC Sparta Prague’s home Champions League third qualifying round match on the new Prima sport channel, with the broadcast positioned as one of the channel’s first major content highlights ahead of its official 17 August launch. The coverage includes a special pre-match studio, expert analysis and immediate post-match reactions, underscoring Prima’s push to strengthen its sports offering. The launch strategy also expands Prima into the specialist sports channel segment, with Prima sport set to be available free-to-air via DVB-T2 on nationwide Broadcasting Network 24.

OPERATORS ARE MOVING PAY-TV TO THE INTERNET

European pay-TV penetration is projected to reach nearly 55 per cent of households by year-end, just 1.6 percentage points above 2021, signalling a broadly stable market at regional level despite sharp national divergence. Operators are increasingly moving core TV services to OTT, with examples including Oneplay in the Czech Republic, Telenor in Norway, Deutsche Telekom in Germany, and Canal and Sky shifting customers from satellite to internet delivery. For media and advertising stakeholders, the key takeaway is that distribution is being redefined by streaming, smart TVs and app-based viewing, while households without linear TV are expected to exceed 20 per cent in Europe within five years.

CZECHS SPEND OVER FOUR HOURS IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION, OF WHICH 37 MINUTES ARE SPENT STREAMING OR PLAYING GAMES

Czech viewers aged 15+ spend an average of 4 hours and 7 minutes a day in front of the TV, with linear broadcasting still accounting for 85% of total screen time. Non-linear use now averages 37 minutes a day across streaming, online video, music, podcasts and gaming, up from eight minutes in 2015, while internet-connected TVs rose from 35% of households in 2020 to 59% last year. The shift is strongest among 25 to 34-year-olds, where non-broadcast activities represent 40% of TV screen time, but television remains the preferred device for longer-form video content.

THE WORLD CUP MATCHES HAVE SET A RECORD FOR NOVA ACTION, ACHIEVING A SHARE OF UP TO 18 PER CENT

Nova Action says the World Cup is delivering record results, with the France v Spain semi-final reaching 826,000 viewers aged 4+ and a 40.3% share in the 15–54 commercial target group, making it the channel’s most-watched programme ever. Tournament performance is also outpacing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as the average share for matches on Nova Action stands at 17.7% among 15–54s versus 9.2% four years ago. For advertisers and broadcasters, the data underlines Nova Action’s growing value for live football, with knockout matches such as Spain v Portugal drawing 588,000 viewers and the final weekend still to come.

TV NOVA CONSOLIDATES ITS SPORTS CHANNELS BUSINESS, HEADED BY JAN RADĚJ

TV Nova has created a dedicated Sport Sales team to consolidate advertising sales across Nova Sport and Oneplay Sport following the integration of O2 TV into the Nova Group. Jan Raděj, formerly Head of Sales & Marketing for the Oneplay Sport channels at O2, will lead the unit and oversee commercial development and sales coordination across the group’s sports channels. For advertisers, the move is designed to simplify access to TV Nova’s combined sports portfolio and support more effective campaign planning across 12 sports channels.

JAN VLČEK JOINS PRIMA’S MANAGEMENT TEAM AND WILL ALSO DRAW UP THE COMPANY’S BUSINESS POLICY

Prima Media Group has created a new Executive Advisor to the Board role and appointed Jan Vlček, expanding its senior management team as it sharpens its commercial and strategic development. Vlček will help shape business strategy, commercial policy and business models across television, digital and radio operations, while also developing partnerships, supporting creative sales and pursuing sports-related commercial opportunities. His appointment brings experience from TV Nova, CME Group and media investment roles, aligning with Prima’s broader push to diversify revenue beyond traditional broadcasting.

COLOURS OF OSTRAVA TO WELCOME NEW BRAND ACTIVATIONS

Colours of Ostrava is expanding on-site brand activity with new main partner Allegro, first-time partner Decathlon, and an enlarged Tic Tac presence tied to the launch of Tic Tac Two. Allegro’s 23 × 10-metre, two-storey Wishlist Zone near the main entrance will run from Wednesday to Saturday, combining relaxation, creativity and entertainment. Decathlon’s debut Playground will add sports challenges, daily exercise classes and a Social Run, while Tic Tac is doubling the size of its festival zone after last year’s activation drew tens of thousands of visitors over four days.

MASCOTS ARE BACK, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW THEM

Mascots are re-emerging as "behaviour era" brand assets, built not just for recognition but for interaction, entertainment, and real-time participation across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Examples including Duolingo’s owl, Jake from State Farm, Wendy’s social persona, and Slackbot show how characters can translate brand strategy into behaviour in both consumer and B2B contexts. For marketers, the takeaway is clear: as products and identities become more abstract, mascots can function as omnichannel interfaces that make brands feel more human, culturally current, and easier to connect with over time.

PRIMA SPORT ON TERRESTRIAL TV IN FULL HD? IT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN DVB-T2 MULTIPLEX 24

A channel slot for the upcoming Prima sport service has been added to nationwide DVB-T2 multiplex 24, with the stream technically configured in 1920 × 1080 Full HD. The current feed shows only a static information screen saying the sports channel will be available during August, but the early allocation lets households update channel lists in advance. For broadcasters, platforms, and advertisers, the key signal is that Prima sport is already being positioned for nationwide terrestrial distribution, while the Full HD setup stands out given the sensitivity around premium-format carriage in the Czech TV market.

PRIMA SPORT LAUNCHES IN AUGUST. WHAT WILL IT BE BROADCASTING?

Prima Sport is targeting a 17 August launch, pending official confirmation in early August, with a schedule spanning ice hockey, football, floorball, volleyball, basketball, motorsport, Ski Classics and e-sports. Prima aims to position the channel as an integrated sports ecosystem, combining live rights, news bulletins, themed magazines, podcasts and short-form digital content, and it is reportedly set to be created through a merger with Sporty TV. For advertisers, the proposition is built around round-the-clock brand exposure across linear TV, HbbTV, CNN Prima News, YouTube, social media and podcasts, with options including sponsorship, product placement and studio branding. Distribution strategy will be critical, as placement in basic pay-TV packages would maximise reach and support broader market availability.

THE CZECH FINAL AT WIMBLEDON WAS THE MOST-WATCHED PROGRAMME ON SATURDAY

Prima’s live broadcast of the all-Czech Wimbledon women’s final became Saturday’s most-watched programme, averaging 764,000 viewers aged 15+ and a 36.95% share, with viewership peaking at around 900,000. The match also lifted Prima to the highest all-day market share on 11 July at 31.39% in the 15+ group, while prime-time share exceeded 39%. Beyond the ratings win, the broadcast highlighted Prima’s sports strategy: it secured the match via a Warner Bros. Discovery sub-licence, dropped its main news bulletin to carry the final, and used the event to promote the upcoming Prima sport channel.

THE LAUNCH OF PRIMA SPORT IS APPROACHING. IT HAS UNVEILED ITS LOGO AND IS TEASING FANS WITH HOCKEY, FOOTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL

Prima Group has unveiled the Prima sport logo and says the new free-to-air channel will launch very soon, with on-air promotion already running during the Wimbledon final. The teaser signals a broad live-sports offer spanning hockey, football and volleyball, while the regulator has already granted a 12-year terrestrial and online broadcasting licence. According to MediaGuru.cz, Prima sport is expected to be created through a merger with Sporty TV, a move that would give Prima immediate access to broadcasting rights, staff and technical infrastructure. For the Czech media market, the launch would create a new free-to-air sports alternative alongside the established ČT sport channel, with a formal launch date still undisclosed.

PRIMA IS BROADCASTING THE CZECH WOMEN’S WIMBLEDON FINAL; IT HOLDS A SUBLICENCE FROM EUROSPORT

TV Prima will air the first-ever all-Czech women’s Wimbledon final live on its main free-to-air channel on Saturday 11 July from 4.30 pm, under a sub-licence agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, while Eurosport 2 will also carry the match simultaneously. The final between Karolína Muchová and Linda Nosková extends Prima’s sports strategy, with a special pre-match studio, live reporting from London, and supporting social and editorial coverage. For broadcasters and rights holders, the deal highlights how sublicensing can widen reach for premium live sport while supporting local partner collaboration and audience growth.

STREAMERS STEP UP MOBILE STRATEGY AS SHORT-FORM VIDEO RESHAPES VIEWING HABITS, VEED ANALYTICS SAYS

Streaming platforms are reworking mobile apps around clips, shorts and vertical video as they try to counter entrenched viewing habits shaped by YouTube and Instagram, according to veed analytics’ July 2026 veed beat report. The research says many services now surface these features in main app navigation and use them not only for viewing, but also for sharing, saving and linking users to full-length programming. The report positions mobile as a strategic product category rather than a companion screen, while warning that its long-term impact on connected TV viewing remains unclear as social platforms also expand onto television devices.

STUDIE USA: LIVE SPORTS INCREASINGLY INFLUENCING VIEWERS’ STREAMING SUBSCRIPTION CHOICES

Bango research based on a representative sample of 2,500 U.S. adults found that 43% of Americans would switch their mobile, broadband, or TV provider for a better sports streaming bundle, underscoring live sports as a major churn and acquisition lever for telcos. The study also shows sports can rival price in provider choice, with 45% preferring a stronger sports bundle over a lower monthly price and 42% willing to pay more if their current provider included the sports they want. Fragmented sports rights are creating a bundling opportunity: 52% said they would trust their own provider above anyone else to bring the live sports they care about into a single package, while 46% said such a bundle would increase loyalty and 49% said it would make them more likely to recommend their provider.

SIX CZECH COMMERCIALS THAT, ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, WERE SUCCESSFUL. WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?

Ipsos’ analysis of 60 Czech campaigns from 2025 found that humour, emotion, empathy and original ideas most strongly drive ad effectiveness, with each campaign rated by at least 100 respondents and more than 6,000 ratings collected online in January 2025. The study links creative experience to brand awareness, empathy to short-term brand choice, and creative ideas to long-term brand relationships, giving marketers a clear framework for evaluating impact. O2, Air Bank, Kooperativa, Vodafone, Kaufland and Bauhaus emerged as the top-performing campaigns, with the strongest work combining entertainment, everyday relevance and a practical solution. For brands, the takeaway is that localized humour and specific consumer problems outperform generic messaging, including in ESG-related communication.

NOVA IS ATTRACTING AUDITIONERS FOR ‘SUPERSTAR’ THROUGH BORHYOVÁ AND KORANTENG AS WELL

TV Nova has launched a new SuperStar audition campaign under the slogan “Where are you?”, using four 20- to 30-second trailers to drive applications from singers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. One spot features Televizní noviny presenters Lucie Borhyová and Rey Koranteng, extending the show’s reach through familiar news personalities, while other creatives build the search theme through messages embedded in everyday settings. All videos end with the SuperStar logo and a direct call to find the new star, giving the campaign a clear performance objective across YouTube and Nova’s official channels.

CZECH TELEVISION HAS MAINTAINED ITS LEADING POSITION AT THE HALWAY-THROUGH POINT OF THE YEAR, GROWING THANKS TO SPORTS BROADCASTING

Czech Television led the Czech TV market in H1 2026, topping all-day and prime-time viewing among audiences aged 15+ and all-day viewing in the 18–69 group, according to official ATO measurement. Sports rights were the key growth driver: coverage of the Winter Olympics, Ice Hockey World Championship and ongoing Football World Cup lifted the broadcaster’s overall 15+ all-day share by more than three percentage points year on year to 32.48%, with ČT sport rising to 6.14%. For advertisers, the split remains important: while Czech Television strengthened broad-reach leadership, Nova still led in 15–54 across all-day and evening viewing, and TV Nova remained the single biggest channel at 16.89%.