Swisscom launches a new TV box, a new streaming subscription and relies entirely on Google’s Android TV

Google Android TV and Disney+: these are the keywords for the new TV offer that the Telekom group launched on Tuesday.

At a press conference in Zurich, the company presented its TV Box 5, which mainly uses Android as an operating system as it makes many apps available to users through the Google Play Store, as Swisscom TV manager Dirk Wierzbitzki said.

The future of television is actually that customers have a kind of ‘smartphone with a large screen’ at home. Users must be able to personalize their television experience: this is the “TV experience of the future”.

Why Swisscom depends on Google

When asked why Swisscom had not developed its own operating system, Wierzbitzki said that Swisscom was too small to launch its own operating system. “That would not be economically viable.” The biggest problem would be maintaining an app store with thousands of app developer relationships to maintain. “We can’t arrange it that way.”

The app partners wanted international reach. That’s why a partnership with Google is the right approach for the future. This way, users would have the widest range of apps available. Offers such as the so-called Google “Voice Assistant” can also be used.

Users can therefore ask: “What’s the weather like?” – and you will get an answer via the new Swisscom TV Box 5. And it is now possible to connect headphones or Bluetooth and use music, videos or photos via WiFi with the so-called Chromecast built-in.

The disadvantage: to take advantage of these offers, you need a Google login. However, with the Blue Giant it is assumed that this will not be a problem. Most users already have one. And if you don’t want to use Google’s Play Store with your apps, you can also use Swisscom’s basic offering with its Blue TV without it.

Streaming package with Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and Sky Cinema

In addition to the collaboration with Google, Swisscom is focusing on more streaming offers: there is a new package offer in which we collaborate not only with the streaming provider Disney+, but also with Paramount+ and Sky Cinema. It says “blue SuperMax” and is for 24.90 francs monthly offered. Netflix is ​​not included in this subscription. Otherwise, Disney+ is available for prices from 7.90 to 17.90 francs per month.

Swisscom does not see the television box itself and Blue TV as being phased out. There are certain consumers who just want a Smart TV and get live television from apps like Zattoo. But the majority of customers still appreciate the breadth of the Blue TV offering with Swisscom’s classic box, which is physically smaller than ever before.

The new Android TV box is “half the size of its predecessor, 35 percent more energy efficient and consists of almost two-thirds recycled plastic,” says Swisscom. It will be launched on October 24, 2023.

Swisscom is not the only one switching to Google: smaller providers such as Sunrise subsidiary Yallo introduced TV boxes some time ago with Google’s Android TV as the operating system.

Market share of 40 percent

Swisscom sees itself as the market leader in the TV sector. Its own market share is currently 40 percent and supplies one and a half million households. Or to put it another way: 86 percent of Swisscom’s broadband users also use their TV offer.

That’s no surprise, as TV usage in Switzerland remains high overall. Older people make most use of the TV offer; they often watch TV for a few hours a day, according to Wierzbitzki. But there is also a high level of use among younger customers – despite all the prophecies of doom that a classic TV box is too old-fashioned for this customer group.

(oli/sda/awp)