On April 6 2009, BravaHDTV has been added to the HD-packages of the Portuguese cable and satellite platform ZON TV Cabo and Pay TV operator Meo. Portugal is the latest addition to BravaHDTV’s European footprint, which now includes France, Holland, Belgium, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Further expansion is expected to Spain, Germany, Poland, Switzerland and Scandinavia.

TV Cabo was founded in 1994 as the second cable operator in Portugal. After acquiring its competitor Bragatel in 2007, TV Cabo became the sole cable provider in many areas of the country. It’s currently the biggest operator of ‘triple play’ (television, internet and telephone) in Portugal with more than 1,5 million customers. TV Cabo is also leading the market of Pay TV and High Definition television. Starting April 6, Brava HDTV will be available as a Premium channel for €4,99/month to customers with a ‘ZON BOX’ in Lisbon, Oporto, Coimbra and south of the Tejo.

Meo is the commercial name of a TV subscription service provided by PT Comunicações. The service can be delivered either through IPTV or Satellite link and is available throughout Portugal. During April 2009, Meo will promote BravaHDTV by broadcasting it for free. Following the free window, BravaHDTV will be marketed as a premium channel for €5,- a month.

‘BravaHDTV focuses on music and musical productions and does not broadcast any documentaries, talk-shows or news items like Arte or Mezzo’, says Brava-director Jur Bron when asked about the secret of his successful HD-channel. ‘BravaHDTV is available 24/7, offering its viewers a first-row seat to an extraordinary display of top-of-the-bill artists and musicians. And BravaHDTV does not only stand out for its quality productions, it’s also free of advertising.’

BravaHDTV started its activities in July 2007 on the local cable network of CAIW in the Netherlands. In November 2007 the Belgian cable platform INDI started distributing Brava HDTV. Brava is also available through the Dutch satellite distributor CanalDigitaal and cable operators Numericable in France and Belgium and Skylink in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. BravaHDTV is currently negotiating new contracts that will make the channel available around the world.