Digiturk Platform
Boosts Capacity on Eutelsat's W3A Satellite for New Pay-TV
Services
(20 June 2007) Eutelsat Communications
and Digiturk, have signed a new contract for capacity on the W3A satellite to
support continued expansion of Turkey's leading pay-TV
platform.
The new contract, concluded for four years, is the
third signed between Eutelsat and Digiturk since November 2006. It takes to 11
the total number of transponders leased for broadcasting services by Digiturk
on Eutelsat's satellites.
Launched in 2000 from Eutelsat's 7 degrees
East position, Digiturk's platform benefits from the high-power regional
footprint on Eutelsat's W3A satellite in order to reach 1.6 million subscribing
satellite homes across Turkey. In addition to its reach of Turkey, Digiturk
offers pay-TV services across Europe and also uses capacity on Atlantic Bird 1
for contribution links back to its studios in Istanbul.
The pay-TV
platform serving Turkey today offers more than 150 television, radio and
interactive channels incorporating national and international programming.
Channels recently joining the platform include Disney Channel Turkey, which has
signed a contract with Digiturk for exclusive carriage of Disney Channel Turkey
which began broadcasting on April 29. Digiturk is also preparing for the
introduction later in 2007 of new HDTV and Video on Demand services through its
capacity on W3A.
"Eutelsat has been the unique satellite provider for
Digiturk since it launched into the pay-TV market in 2000," said Olivier
Millies-Lacroix, Eutelsat's Commercial Director "We are very pleased to further
strengthen this relationship through additional capacity on our W3A satellite
which is optimised for Direct-to-Home reception via its unique footprint which
reaches into Digiturk's core markets."
About Eutelsat
Communications
Eutelsat Communications is the holding company of
Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 23 satellites that provide
coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East,
Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one
of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 31
March 2007, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting over 2,500 television
channels and 1,000 radio stations. More than 1,000 channels broadcast via its
Hot Bird video neighbourhood which serves over 120 million cable and satellite
homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also
serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV
contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet
Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's
broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through teleports
in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government
agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 515 commercial,
technical and operational experts from 27 countries.
(source: Eutelsat
Communications)