HBO Central Europe
Encyclopedia
HBO Central Europe is a premium pay television service operating in eleven countries in Central and Eastern Europe: Poland
, Czech Republic
, Slovakia
, Hungary
, Romania
, Bulgaria
, Slovenia
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Croatia
, Moldova
, Macedonia
, Montenegro
and Serbia
. The headquarters are located in Budapest, Hungary. It is fully owned by Time Warner through Home Box Office Inc.. Buena Vista International Television and Sony Pictures Television International exited the HBO premium joint venture on January 28, 2010.
The first service launched by HBO in Europe was HBO Hungary, which launched on September 28, 1991. This was followed by the launch of HBO Czech in 1994, HBO Poland in 1996, a launch in Slovakia in 1997, HBO Romania in 1998, launch of HBO Romania in Moldova in 1999, HBO Bulgaria in 2002, HBO Adria in Croatia and Slovenia in 2004 HBO Serbia in Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 and HBO Macedonia in Macedonia in 2009.
HBO Central Europe has the following channel brands:
, RCS&RDS
DTH platform dropped transmission of HBO's channels in the Czech Republic
, and two days later in Croatia
. This decision was made due to: "Unacceptable financial demands of the licensor, which would harm our company and especially you, our customers, through an unacceptable increase in retail prices." stated in a RCS&RDS press release.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. The headquarters are located in Budapest, Hungary. It is fully owned by Time Warner through Home Box Office Inc.. Buena Vista International Television and Sony Pictures Television International exited the HBO premium joint venture on January 28, 2010.
The first service launched by HBO in Europe was HBO Hungary, which launched on September 28, 1991. This was followed by the launch of HBO Czech in 1994, HBO Poland in 1996, a launch in Slovakia in 1997, HBO Romania in 1998, launch of HBO Romania in Moldova in 1999, HBO Bulgaria in 2002, HBO Adria in Croatia and Slovenia in 2004 HBO Serbia in Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 and HBO Macedonia in Macedonia in 2009.
HBO Central Europe has the following channel brands:
- HBO is available in all twelve countries.
- HBO 2 is available in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
- HBO Comedy was launched in January 2007. It is available in all eleven countries.
- HBO Digital was launched in March 2007. It is a video-on-demand service, available in Poland, the Czech Republic, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia.
- HBO HD was launched in 2008. It is available in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
- CinemaxCinemaxCinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
was launched in 2005. It is available in all eleven countries. - Cinemax 2Cinemax 2For the American premium movie service, see Cinemax.Cinemax 2 is a European movie channel which is broadcast in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and in first quarter of 2009., Cinemax 2 will be available in Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. - Cinemax 2 HD :Cinemax 2 HD is a...
is available in countries where Cinemax is available. - Cinemax HD was launched in Poland and will become available in the Czech Republic during 2011.
- HBO 2 HD- was launched in Poland in 2011
- HBO Comedy HD- was launched in Poland in 2011
- Cinemax2 HD- was launched in Poland in 2011
Carriage disputes
On January 11, 2011, Digi TVDigi TV
Digi TV is a DTH platform of RCS&RDS, a Romanian cable, telephony, and Internet provider.- Countries where Digi TV is available :* Romania - about 1,100,000 customers* Hungary - about 420,000 customers* Slovakia - about 320,000 customers...
, RCS&RDS
RCS&RDS
RCS&RDS is the largest Romanian cable and internet provider, offering nationwide satellite television, cable television, cable internet, VOIP, and 3G services...
DTH platform dropped transmission of HBO's channels in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, and two days later in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. This decision was made due to: "Unacceptable financial demands of the licensor, which would harm our company and especially you, our customers, through an unacceptable increase in retail prices." stated in a RCS&RDS press release.