Focus: Broadcasting

[Via Satellite 08-01-2016] ‪MBC Group is transitioning its Gulf-focused channels and MBC Pro Sports channels exclusively to Arabsat as part of a new strategic partnership. The next stages of the partnership focus on providing advanced, reliable receivers for viewers. Most immediately, this partnership sees the return of the Saudi Football League to Arabsat. MBC Pro...

[Via Satellite 07-29-2016] AsiaSat is collaborating with Digital Magic to co-produce Ultra-HD content for AsiaSat’s Ultra-HD channel 4K-SAT, on AsiaSat 4 at 122 degrees east. The co-production includes a knowledge-based Ultra-HD mini-series on satellite communications to provide an easy-to-understand introduction to topics such as how a satellite works, how it serves people and how it...

[Via Satellite 07-28-2016] Russian operator Tricolor TV and Eutelsat Communications are collaborating on deploying the first network in Russia to use SmartBeam, Eutelsat’s new multi-screen video delivery solution. SmartBeam opens the door to the deployment of the first satellite network in Russia to deliver video content to mobile devices. Consumers will be able to receive...

[Via Satellite 07-27-2016] Azteca America is finding it easier to delivery higher quality broadcasts over the internet than by satellite, according to company COO Martin Breidsprecher. The U.S. division of Mexico-based TV Azteca reaches approximately 76 percent of the Hispanic population in the country. Breidsprecher told Via Satellite that, though the broadcaster is growing healthily,...

[Via Satellite 07-27-2016] SES is shipping 4K/High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC) Set Top Boxes (STBs) to cable operators participating in Ultra-HD trials across the United States. The cable operators are testing Ultra-HD content across SES’ fully managed Ultra-HD platform and receiving the IP STBs in preparation for subscriber trials into U.S. households later this year....

[Via Satellite 07-25-2016] Hans Vestberg, president, CEO and member of the board of directors of Ericsson, has stepped down with immediate effect, the company announced July 25. Executive Vice President (EVP) and CFO Jan Frykhammar will temporarily assume the CEO position until a new CEO is in office. “I have had 28 fantastic years at...

[Via Satellite 07-25-2016] Tomorrowland, one of the largest Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festivals in the world, recently collaborated with SES to broadcast the main festival in Belgium live to seven countries in High Definition (HD). The three-day festival, held from July 22 to July 24, also took place simultaneously on its second night in seven...

[Via Satellite 07-25-2016] U.K. telecoms company Arqiva has renewed multi-year contracts with Eutelsat covering capacity on two satellites. The company will continue to use Ku-band resources on Eutelsat 10A and Eutelsat 7B for European content contribution and distribution. Arqiva provides end-to-end bespoke solutions for worldwide delivery of high profile live sports content for major rights...

[Via Satellite 07-21-2016] AT&T executives touted the company’s DirecTV acquisition as a success in the company’s July 22 second-quarter conference call, noting the next step for the company’s satellite acquisition would be to launch an Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming TV subscription service this Fall. “One year after our acquisition of DirecTV, the success of the integration...

[Via Satellite 07-22-2016] Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) has renewed its contract through the end of Intelsat’s Galaxy 14 satellite’s life to distribute High Definition (HD) and Standard Definition (SD) programming to cable head-ends throughout North America. Under the multi-year agreement, TBN is leveraging Intelsat’s video neighborhood at 125 degrees west to deliver faith-based programming to...