Quantum to launch online TV channel

Mercury TV available to all Internet users

Mercury Media, a new online media channel, is expected to be launched during 2014. It will be open for local and international viewers. The channel’s name is not final yet.

The majority shareholder is the local Quantum Holding, chaired by Eli Khoury, CEO of M&C Saatchi MENA. A Quantum subsidiary called ‘Mercury’ was created specifically to develop the channel.

According to Amer Chehab, Managing Director of Mercury, investments in the project were sizeable and reached multimillion dollars. “Our project is much bigger than any other similar initiative, and will offer varied media services from programs, to movies, news, and even books,” he said. It is similar to the US-based Netflix website.

Chehab said that the Mercury Channel is different than regular Internet protocol television (IPTV) because it requires no mandatory broadband. The Mercury Channel requires no setup box such as a cable receiver. It can be viewed on a TV, PC, tablet, smart phone, or smart TV, through a proprietary website that will be announced later on.

The Mercury Channel can be viewed by all Internet subscribers, no matter what the quality of their Internet connection. “Users with a large bandwidth Internet connection will be able to view our content in High Definition (HD). If they use a DSL connection, they will still be able to stream our videos and content, but the experience will be closer to Youtube.”

The channel is currently studying and reviewing different monetization methods such as pay-per-view, monthly subscriptions with specific bouquets, and advertisements.