Intelsat Transmits
Spain's Euro 2008 Victory Games In HD To Millions Of Viewers
(9 July 2008) Intelsat, Ltd., the
world's leading provider of commercial satellite services, transmitted the
three most watched programs in Spanish TV history to millions of viewers during
the broadcast of Spain's appearances in the final rounds of June's Euro 2008
soccer championship.
Viewership peaked at 17.89 million during
the final match.
Intelsat, which has transmitted many of the
most-watched events of the past decades, continued the tradition with the Euro
2008 soccer championship. Intelsat provided Spain's Telefonica S.A.'s broadcast
unit, Telefonica Servicios Audiovisuales, fully managed on-site uplink services
using a pool of Intelsat managed equipment and personnel. These services
included Multiple Channel Per Carrier (MCPC) support of simultaneous high
definition and standard definition transmissions from the international
broadcasting centre in Vienna. In addition, Ku-band capacity on the Intelsat
905 satellite located at 335.5 degrees East was used for high definition and
standard definition transmissions of the matches and programming originating
live from the international broadcasting centre throughout the duration of the
event. Intelsat also provided backup C-band capacity on the Intelsat 7
satellite located at 68.5 degrees East for the pivotal knock-out matches of the
championship.
"Intelsat provided us with the turnkey solution-from
location uplink services and logistics, to ideal space segment capacity-that we
needed to successfully deliver the Euro 2008 championship games," said Soraya
Kherfi, Head of Television Transmissions for Telefónica Servicios
Audiovisuales. "Intelsat's high-powered Ku-band offering on its 905 satellite
was ideal for the HD services we needed for our Spanish
broadcaster."
"Demand for HD programming remains strong on the global
landscape and large-scale sporting events such as the 2008 Euro championships
continue to fuel the growth and proliferation of this important video format,"
said Jean-Philippe Gillet, Intelsat's Regional Vice President for Europe and
the Middle East. "Our 905 satellite is strategically located providing high
power Ku-band spotbeam coverage for Western Europe, making it an ideal choice
for transmitting sought-after news, live events, entertainment and sports to
the European audience."
About Telefonica Servicios
Audiovisuales
Telefonica Servicios Audiovisuales is the Telefonica Group
company specialising in audiovisual services and solutions aimed particularly
at companies who work in the audiovisual sector and generally to all business
sectors. Telefonica Audiovisual Services has the ability and experience
necessary to provide integrated solutions to their customers, being in all
activities in the audiovisual sector, from production to distribution,
dissemination and transmission of television signals and digital
radio.
About Intelsat
Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed
satellite services (FSS) world-wide, delivering information and entertainment
for many of the world's leading media and network companies, multinational
corporations, Internet service providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat's
satellite, teleport and fibre infrastructure is unmatched in the industry,
setting the standard for advanced transmissions of video, data and voice
services. With the globalisation of content, broadband, telecom, HD and IPTV
fuelling next-generation growth, the ever-expanding universe of satellite
communications is the cornerstone of today's Intelsat. Real-time, advanced
communications with people anywhere in the world is closer, by
far.
(source: Intelsat)
