SES ASTRA BUILDS UP NEW DTH POSITION WITH DUTCH SATELLITE TV
CanalDigitaal to launch new thematic and HDTV services via ASTRA 23.5°East / Opening of the new office ASTRA Benelux BV
Betzdorf (Luxembourg), 7 September 2007. – SES ASTRA, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), announced today a capacity agreement with the Dutch satellite TV provider CanalDigitaal for two additional transponders at ASTRA’s orbital position 23.5° East, targeting the Dutch and Flemish markets. With this contract, SES ASTRA is further building up this orbital slot as a new Direct-to-Home (DTH) position. CanalDigitaal will launch its new digital thematic package at 23.5° East this autumn and add a whole range of new High Definition (HD) TV services at a later stage. Following the agreement, CanalDigitaal is using a total of six transponders on the ASTRA Satellite System. In November 2006, the Dutch regional broadcasters had already launched free-to-air via one transponder at 23.5° East.
According to the agreements, CanalDigitaal’s existing services will continue to be transmitted via ASTRA 19.2° East. To allow for a cost-efficient and easy reception of the services from 19.2° East and 23.5° East via existing 60 cm dishes, SES ASTRA and CanalDigitaal have jointly developed the so-called DUO LNB 60. Following an extensive promotion campaign this summer in cooperation with the Dutch regional broadcasters, over 50,000 DUO LNB’s have already been sold into the Dutch market. Furthermore, two weeks after the announcement of its new digital thematic package, CanalDigitaal has already nearly 40,000 pre-registrations for the new offer on 23.5° East.
SES ASTRA currently reaches over 750.000 DTH homes subscribing to CanalDigitaal. The program offer includes all Dutch national channels and a wide range of thematic channels. Following the launch in 2006 of TV Vlaanderen, CanalDigitaal’s sister company in Flanders, the Flemish DTH market currently counts over 50,000 TV Vlaanderen subscribers. To further support the growth of the market, SES ASTRA is opening a Benelux marketing affiliate in Hilversum, in the Netherlands, in the direct neighbourhood of its key customers and market partners. The ASTRA Benelux manager Bill Wijdeveld has been appointed General Manager of ASTRA Benelux. Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA, said: “Over the last years, DTH satellite reception has matured rapidly in the competitive Dutch speaking markets. We are fully confident that ASTRA 23.5° East will become an important additional DTH position, in conjunction with the ASTRA 19.2° East position. The quick take-up of ASTRA DUO LNB sales in the Netherlands confirms that the concept of duo-satellite reception works, provided the channel neighbourhood is attractive and the reception devices cost-efficient and easy to use.”
Kees Färber, Chief Operating Officer at CanalDigitaal, said: “The Dutch market has grown successfully with a single satellite position at ASTRA 19.2° East. Our strong need to offer more digital channels and expand into HDTV has led us to choose a strategic expansion via ASTRA 23.5° East. Ease of installation and compatibility with existing customer equipment are strong requirements in order to make this combination a success. The high demand for the new DUO LNB proves that we found the right solution to continue reliable DTH services for TV and radio and to secure a customer-friendly way to further expand our market."
About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com
SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe, delivering services to more than 109 million DTH and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting 1,864 analogue and digital television and radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia, internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments and their agencies. With 26 High Definition (HD) channels available via its satellites today, ASTRA is also the most important HDTV broadcasting platform in Europe. ASTRA's prime orbital positions are 19.2° East, 28.2° East, and 23.5° East. SES ASTRA is an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG). SES owns three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES, which provide global coverage and connectivity. The Company also holds strategic participations in SES Sirius in Europe, Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 37 satellites in 25 orbital positions around the globe. Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.comAbout CanalDigitaal and TV-Vlaanderen www.canaldigitaal.nl and www.tv-vlaanderen.be
CanalDigitaal combined with sister company TV-Vlaanderen , represent the largest provider of digital TV in the Benelux with more than 800,000 customers. CanalDigitaal and TV-Vlaanderen operate via the ASTRA Satellite System at both 19.2 and 23.5 East, providing customers direct-to-home access to all the Dutch and Flemish public and commercial broadcasters, premium sports and movie services, thematic channels and a wide range of free-to-air channels in various languages currently available on ASTRA (more than 200). CanalDigitaal delivers "excellent quality of picture and sound" (according to the Dutch Consumers Society in 2005) when compared to other types of digital TV.For further information please contact:
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Markus Payer |
Kees Färber |
Note for the press:
Further background on the agreement will be provided during a press conference at the IBC in Amsterdam, today at 4 p.m. in the SES Business Lounge at the SES/ SES ASTRA booth, Hall 1. For details please contact:|
Bill Wijdeveld |