Press release -
United Group consolidates broadcasting activities on Eutelsat’s major European Direct-To-Home positions, EUTELSAT 16A and HOTBIRD, to maximise audience reach
- Renewal of multi-year, multi-transponder agreement in Greece and Ex-Yugoslavia, with new capacity over Bulgaria and incremental capacity in Greece
- Showcasing the ongoing relevance of satellite in addressing the evolving needs of broadcast clients
- Confirming Eutelsat’s position as the premier satellite broadcasting operator serving Direct-To-Home (DTH) providers
Paris, 8 August 2024 – Eutelsat Group (ISIN: FR0010221234 – Euronext Paris / London Stock Exchange: ETL) announces that it has been selected by United Group, South-East Europe’s leading provider of telecommunications and media services, to consolidate its broadcasting activities at two of Eutelsat’s flagship video hotspots, to maximize audience reach over its footprint.
Following an RFI to satellite operators to optimise the efficiency of its operations, United Group awarded Eutelsat the contract for its entire DTH portfolio, thanks to the technical superiority of the proposed solution. Under the multi-year, multi-transponder deal, which will consolidate the totality of its broadcast activities on Eutelsat assets, United Group is renewing its commitment with incremental capacity to accommodate both existing and new television platforms that will be joining the Eutelsat video neighbourhood.
Eutelsat reaches 70% of satellite households in Central and Eastern Europe from its leading European video hotspots. By combining EUTELSAT HOTBIRD at the 13° East position, and EUTELSAT 16A at 16° East, United Group’s Total TV, Nova and Vivacom platforms can reach regional audiences at home and further afield in Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
Zeljko Batistić, VP Technology of United Group, stated: “We are proud to be taking the high quality of our TV offering to a new level. This transition is crucial to maximise our audience reach across our market footprint, deliver an unrivalled content line-up and continue to develop our next generation services. We are delighted to partner with Eutelsat, who offers us the best and most compliant technical solution to meet our needs.”
Laurence Delpy, President of the Video Business Unit of Eutelsat Group added: “We are honoured that United Group, has placed its confidence in Eutelsat for this important strategic initiative, leveraging two of our leading video neighbourhoods, 16° East and HOTBIRD. As well as reinforcing our long-standing collaboration with one of our key customers in the region, this agreement showcases the ongoing relevance of satellite in addressing the evolving needs of our broadcast clients and confirms Eutelsat as the premier operator covering the region, reaching 7 out of 10 satellite homes.”
16° East is a leading video neighbourhood for Central and Eastern Europe, delivering around 600 TV channels, over 200 exclusively, and over 200 in High Definition, to over 25 million homes. High-power footprints support video broadcasting markets with extensive coverage of the CEE region, stretching across to western Europe to reach expatriate communities.
The HOTBIRD satellites at 13° East form EMEA's prime broadcast neighbourhood for TV channels wanting to reach large audiences. Delivering over 900 TV channels, 50% in High Definition, in Europe alone it reaches 130 million homes, including almost all cable networks in the region.
About Eutelsat Group
Eutelsat Group is a global leader in satellite communications, delivering connectivity and broadcast services worldwide. The Group was formed through the combination of the Company and OneWeb in 2023, becoming the first fully integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator with a fleet of 35 Geostationary satellites and a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of more than 600 satellites. The Group addresses the needs of customers in four key verticals of Video, where it distributes more than 6,500 television channels, and the high-growth connectivity markets of Mobile Connectivity, Fixed Connectivity, and Government Services. Eutelsat Group’s unique suite of in-orbit assets and ground infrastructure enables it to deliver integrated solutions to meet the needs of global customers. The Company is headquartered in Paris and the Eutelsat Group employs more than 1,700 people across more than 50 countries. The Group is committed to delivering safe, resilient, and environmentally sustainable connectivity to help bridge the digital divide. The Company is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL) and the London Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL)
Find out more at www.eutelsat.com
Media enquiries
Joanna Darlington
Tel. +33 674 521 531
jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Katie Dowd
Tel. +1 202 271 2209
kdowd@oneweb.net
Investors
Joanna Darlington
Tel. +33 674 521 531
jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Hugo Laurens Berge
Tel. +33 670 80 95 58
hlaurensberge@eutelsat.com
DISCLAIMER
The forward-looking statements included herein are for illustrative purposes only and are based on management’s views and assumptions as of the date of this document. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks. For illustrative purposes only, such risks include but are not limited to: risks related to the health crisis; operational risks related to satellite failures or impaired satellite performance, or failure to roll out the deployment plan as planned and within the expected timeframe; risks related to the trend in the satellite telecommunications market resulting from increased competition or technological changes affecting the market; risks related to the international dimension of the Group's customers and activities; risks related to the adoption of international rules on frequency coordination and financial risks related, inter alia, to the financial guarantee granted to the Intergovernmental Organization's closed pension fund, and foreign exchange risk. Eutelsat Communications expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any projections, forecasts or estimates contained in this document to reflect any change in events, conditions, assumptions, or circumstances on which any such statements are based, unless so required by applicable law. The information contained in this document is not based on historical fact and should not be construed as a guarantee that the facts or data mentioned will occur. This information is based on data, assumptions and estimates that the Group considers as reasonable.
