Focus: Broadcasting

[Via Satellite 11-26-2014] Globecast has entered an agreement with Measat Satellite Systems to broadcast U.S. network Home and Garden Television (HGTV) channel in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The channel will be carried in HD on the Measat 3 satellite’s global C-band footprint, which covers more than 100 countries. Globecast will continue to...

With 8 million subscribers in Africa, MultiChoice is looking to build its presence across other markets in the continent. We look at the opportunities and obstacles the company faces. MultiChoice has 5 million subscribers in South Africa, and 3 million in markets across the sub-Saharan Africa region, and it is looking to build its presence...

[Via Satellite 11-21-2014] In a highly important strategic move, Eutelsat and Spacecom have joined forces to better serve the African broadcast market. The two companies have agreed to establish a framework for cross-commercialization of Ku-band capacity connected to the high-power African service areas of Eutelsat’s Eutelsat 16A satellite at 16 degrees east and Spacecom’s Amos-5...

[Via Satellite 11-19-2014] Eutelsat and Spacecom, operator of the Amos satellites, have announced a partnership to cross-commercialize Ku-band capacity on the African service areas of the Eutelsat 16A and Amos 5 satellites at 16 and 17 degrees east, respectively. The amalgamated channel line up already contains more than 100 Free-to-Air (FTA) channels with a footprint...

[Via Satellite 11-18-2014] Luxembourg-based satellite TV provider M7 Group has purchased additional capacity from SES and extended its capacity contract at Astra 23.5 degrees east. M7 Group reaches more than 2 million Direct-to-Home (DTH) households through Skylink. The new capacity enables the company to offer more HD content in Europe through the DTH platform. “With...

[Via Satellite 11-17-2014] Yahlive, a joint venture between Yahsat of the UAE and SES of Luxembourg, has leased a new transponder to Babylon Media Company. The agreement provides additional capacity for a minimum of four more TV channels on Yahlive’s East beam. Babylon Media Company currently broadcasts 13 channels through Yahlive. Yahlive aims to reach...

[Via Satellite 11-14-2014] DirecTV has teamed up with Samsung to begin offering 4K content. Beginning today, customers with DirecTV’s Genie HD DVR and a 2014 model Samsung Ultra-High Definition television will have access to new releases, popular films and nature documentaries in 4K. DirecTV’s 4K offerings begin with 19 movies including the 2009 “Star Trek,”...

[Via Satellite 11-14-2014] United States-based pay-per-view provider iN Demand has renewed its agreement with SES for C-band capacity on two of AMC 1’s transponders. iN Demand will use the capacity to deliver professional sports content from the NBA, MLB and others to close to 50 million digital cable households throughout North America and the Caribbean....

[Via Satellite 11-11-2014] SES has initiated broadcasts of an Ebola-focused education channel called “Fight Ebola” on its Astra 2F and SES 5 satellites. The channel is available for both Free-to-Air (FTA) and pay-TV viewers in West Africa, and is dedicated to providing an understanding of the disease and how to prevent its spread. UNICEF, Doctors...

[Via Satellite 11-11-2014] Eutelsat has added the Video-on-Demand (VOD) service MYTF1VOD to its French satellite TV platform Fransat. The company broadcasts 25 French Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) channels, France 3’s 24 regional channels, and several others subscription-free from the Eutelsat 5 West A satellite. MYTF1VOD is included in the latest version of Fransat Connect. The...