Cubavision case study

Cubavision - an international Free-to-air channel on ASTRA 19.2°East

To grow its audience, Cubavision needed to extend beyond its national borders and target not only Cubans abroad, but also the broader Hispanic community. Cubavision chose ASTRA as a key distribution partner because of its extensive reach in Spain, and Europe in general.

CubavisionCubavision was created in 1986 in La Havana, Cuba. A 24-hour free-to-air entertainment channel operated by the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT), Cubavision Internacional offers programming centered on life in Cuba, covering a wide range of subjects including culture, tourism, folklore, nature, music and dance, science, children’s programs, films, literature and documentaries.

Support with market knowledge

In addition to its extensive audience community and strong technical capabilities, ASTRA was chosen by Cubavision because of the company’s ability to provide professional after sales support in Cubavision’s target markets. ASTRA operates local affiliate offices in London, Munich, Paris, Madrid, Warsaw and Johannesburg. Staffed by local market specialists, affiliate offices conduct activities that are designed to raise general awareness about the ASTRA channel neighbourhood, and promote the growth of the installed end user base. They also help individual customers develop strategies for increasing viewership.

Enersto López, President of ICRT (Instituto Cubano de Radio y Television):
Ernesto Lopez“To be broadcast on ASTRA is an important achievement in the international development of Cubavision Internacional, which will give us high visibility in the European market. ASTRA reaches more than 10 million households with digital satellite reception in Europe, of which 2 million are in Spain. All of them will now be able to get to know the culture, history and news from Cuba,”

Our Spanish affiliate office undertook the following activities for Cubavision:
  • Liaised with European pay-TV packages to include Cubavision in their program listing and obtain an EPG number:
    • Spain: 305 of Digital+
    • Netherlands: 159 of Canal Digitaal
    • France: 329 of Canal Satellite
    • Germany with Premiere
  • Multiplier and penetration marketing
    • Joint ad campaigns and press events
    • Seminars to promote the channel among trade
    • Campaigns to promote Cubavision and the ASTRA free-to-air offer
    • Exhibitions and events (e.g. Broadcast and Matelec)
    • Inclusion in ASTRA websites
    • Newsletters – more than 10,000 copies distributed to installers, the Digital+ network, engineers and housing industry decision makers
    • Distribution of promotion and point-of-sale materials (more than 250,000 consumer leaflets distributed)
    • PR and lobbying
Supporting the business model

Cubavision as a general entertainment channel has many interests in common with private and public channels in Europe. Notable for Cubavision are the objectives to promote the home country and the wish for worldwide reach.

The key component here is international tourism, which is one of the main sources of income for the country and a major reason to have a TV channel on satellite. Having this in mind, the main decision factor to choose a satellite system in Europe for Cubavision was the penetration figures. ASTRA could enable Cubavision to reach more homes and introduce them to the sights and sounds of Cuba.

The channel is not financed by advertising. On the contrary the real benefits are non tangibles such as a better image of the country, promotion of typical Cuban goods and of course, growth in international tourism.

Having understood which are the interests of Cubavision Internacional in Europe, ASTRA supported the business model, first with the development of the channel in the Spanish market, and secondly in the continental DTH market. With the help of the ASTRA affiliates in Europe, in particular the French and the German offices, Cubavision came to understand how to better extend its penetration, country by country, by understanding the key issues of each market.

Luis Sahun, General Manager, ASTRA Marketing Iberica:
“We are delighted that Cubavision has joined ASTRA’s free-to-air neighbourhood. More and more Latin American channels are targeting not just the Spanish-speaking homes that ASTRA reaches, but our Pan-European audience as well. In continental Europe alone, there are more than 16 million homes equipped to receive ASTRA signals. With our partners we’ve established a new facility in Madrid capable of turning around trans-Atlantic signals and uplinking them to the ASTRA system, in order to help more Latin American channels reach this enormous audience.”

Continuously growing household reach
  • More than 1,600 TV and radio channels
  • Over 107 million homes throughout Europe through DTH and cable
  • In Spain, 2.8 million homes; two million via satellite and 840,000 through cable
  • Leading position in the direct-to-home reception market, with 41.4 million satellite homes.
  • Three out of four DTH/SMATV homes in Europe received services via ASTRA during 2004.

ASTRA households in M.
ASTRA household reach
Total ASTRA household reach in 35 countries within the footprint
*incl. 4 additional countries: Bosnia, Serbia, Morocco and Tunisia
**incl. Algeria
Source: SES ASTRA, Satellite Monitors, Year end 2005

ASTRA at 19.2° East: Pan-European visibility*

The ubiquitous coverage provided by the ASTRA Satellite System enables free-to-air (FTA) channels such as Cubavision to reach households throughout Europe regardless of geographic barriers or national boundaries. Anyone with a standard set-top box and a dish pointed at an ASTRA satellite can receive FTA channels without the need for decoder cards or special equipment.

*the UK and Ireland markets are covered by a separate ASTRA orbital position at 28.2°East.

Contribution and turnaround services

In association with its global partners, ASTRA can transport media content from broadcasters’ home studios -- regardless of their location -- to content aggregation points, teleports and playout centres across Europe. Turnaround of signals from other satellite systems for uplink to and final broadcast via ASTRA satellites is also easily managed.

Ground services Madrid

ASTRA - an international satellite operator

The ASTRA Satellite System is the leading satellite system for broadcast services in Europe, delivering more than 1600 analogue and digital television and radio channels, as well as multimedia and internet services to more than 107 million direct-to-home (DTH) and cable households (year end 2005).

SES ASTRA is part of SES, which wholly owns three marketleading satellite operators, SES ASTRA, SES NEW SKIES and SES AMERICOM. The company also holds strategic participations in AsiaSat, Star One and SES SIRIUS.