Press release -
Eurovision steps up capacity on four Eutelsat satellites to deliver major news and sporting events
Photo credit: Shutterstock
Paris, Geneva, 26 May 2016 – The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the premier distributor of sports and news content for the world’s top broadcast and media platforms, and Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) announce the signature of capacity contracts on four Eutelsat satellites. The capacity will be used to carry live broadcast signals of flagship events in the sports calendar, including all major European football championships and this year’s most popular summer sports events.
Using the EUTELSAT 65 West A, EUTELSAT 12 West B and EUTELSAT 5 West A satellites, the EBU will extend its existing and substantial footprint to new regions, notably Africa with a full-time lease for capacity.
The new leases coincide with the cornerstone renewal and expansion of capacity contracted by the EBU on the EUTELSAT 7B satellite. With this new major long-term agreement EUTELSAT 7B remains the core element of Eurovision’s network over Europe, the Middle East and North Africa for distribution of live images of all major sporting and news events shown by European broadcasters.
The irresistible appeal of sports TV
Graham Warren, Network Director at Eurovision, said of the new contracts: “Our objective has always been to provide our customers with highly reliable and innovative production and distribution services with the best possible conditions, technically, operationally and of course financially. The EBU knows it can rely on a number of satellites in Eutelsat’s fleet to ensure video distribution across the world, most notably the European continent in its larger perimeter and the African continent, which represents a promising new marketplace for Eurovision services; and in an ever growing environment for live video services, in multiple formats, from second screen to UHD."
Coverage for all Eurovision members
Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Chief Commercial and Development Officer, concluded: “These new contracts place Eutelsat’s satellites at the heart of the digital infrastructure gearing up to broadcast this summer’s major sporting events and for the coming years. We are going a step further in our relationship with Eurovision and the EBU and are delighted that the global scale of our fleet enables us to meet their needs in Europe, South America and Africa.”
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About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 40 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.
Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com
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Vanessa O’Connor Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91
voconnor@eutelsat.com
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91
mecuer@eutelsat.com
Violaine du Boucher Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91
vduboucher@eutelsat.com
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Joanna Darlington Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30
jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Cédric Pugni Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30
cpugni@eutelsat.com
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About the EBU
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable. We have 73 Members in 56 countries in Europe, and an additional 34 Associates in Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Our Members operate over 1,800 television and radio channels together with numerous online platforms. Together, they reach audiences of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in more than 120 languages.
We are one EBU with two distinct fields of activity: member services and business services.
Our business services – operating under the Eurovision brand – are the media industry’s premier distributor and producer of high-quality live news, sport and entertainment with over 70,000 transmissions and 100,000 hours of news and sport every year.
We have offices in Brussels, Rome, Dubai, Moscow, New York, Washington DC, Singapore and Beijing. Our headquarters are in Geneva.
Discover more about the EBU on www.ebu.ch.
EXTRA INFO ON SPORTS
- The EBU’s Sports Rights portfolio is extensively working with more than 25 international sports federations and handling more than 30 contracts. This represents around 150 events including approximately 680 competition days which they may also produce and distribute.
- In 2015, the Eurovision worldwide network distributed more than 90,000 hours of footage; 75.000 hours of it were sports.
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Nadia BELATRACHE
Marketing Project Manager
T +41 22 717 2762
