The announcement marks the first time adult hi-def stations will be fully available throughout the region.
Anthony L. Previte, COO of Penthouse parent company FriendFinder Networks Inc., said the deal is intended to capture the lion’s share of adult viewers throughout Europe.
“Early on, Penthouse saw the future of the HD market, making the transition of our production exclusively to HD in 2006,” he said. “We’re poised to dominate the adult European broadcast market for years to come.”
The three channels, which plan to go live on Sept. 15, will be branded as Penthouse HD, HD1 and HD2 and be available to the former Russian regions now known as the Commonwealth of Independent States by satellite and by personal dish subscribers elsewhere in Europe.
Penthouse said it is working with General Satellite to provide service-oriented middleware and their proprietary set top boxes. The Boca Raton, Fla.-based company also has chosen NOA Productions for licensing the content throughout the E.U.
Penthouse HD will offer soft fare, while Penthouse HD1 and Penthouse HD2 will be harder.
