Naetchanok Wipatasinlapin, managing director of True4U Station, said yesterday that her station was currently in discussions with Fox International Channels, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, MGM, Disney and Columbia Pictures about using this budget to select major movies for screening during its evening prime-time slots.

The move forms part of this year’s strategy to strengthen True4U Station, following on from last month’s announcement of an investment of more than Bt2 billion this year to retain its position as a leader in sports and entertainment programming and to generate at least Bt1 billion in annual revenue, she said.

The company this year is focusing more on sports and entertainment programmes to attract mass audiences in the provinces by dedicating more airtime for live sports tournaments, game shows, dramas, TV series and movies, Naetchanok added.

In addition to this content strategy, the company will prepare a series of on-ground activities both to promote the TV station and to engage with audiences.

Of the total expenditure on this year’s programmes, Bt700 million will be for sports content and licences to telecast more than 200 matches, followed by Bt700 million for local TV dramas and series and Bt600 million for game shows.

“This reflects our ambitious goal to be a leading sports and entertainment channel, and we hope to become No 3 in the digital-TV business by the end of this year,” the managing director said.

Sports

True4U channel will offer sports content during up to 40 per cent of its airtime, an increase from last year’s 30 per cent.

Entertainment programmes, including TV dramas and game shows, will account for 30 per cent, up from 20 per cent last year.

The remaining airtime will be dedicated to news and children’s and family programmes.

She said the company believed that this strategy would help raise the average rating for its digital-TV station to 0.5 point this year, from 0.2 point in 2015.

True4U channel targets Bt1 billion in revenue, compared with Bt700 million last year.