The Mexican cable industry does not have as high a penetration rate, but it does boast a rich cable tradition. Colombia and Brazil are trying to grow after years of regulation that hampered the industry s development. Even more pronounced differences exist with regard to content issues in Latin America. Northern countries have to deal with piracy problems because of satellite footprints that carry American television. Cable companies in Brazil and Venezuela target the most wealthy layers of the society while cable companies in Argentina and Colombia try to reach as many people as possible.
Consolidation has a lot to do with it.
With less buyers, negotiations have changed dramatically. Some operators own systems in several different countries. Of course, they are looking to purchase equipment and programming at the lowest price. Why, they ask, should a neighbouring country pay significantly less for the same products. These operators would have a huge MSO in Argentina pay the same price per subscriber as a small system in Venezuela.