Globecast Boosts U.S. Cable Content Distribution With SES Video
In addition, SES announced new deals with Viasat Ukraine, TV5MONDE, and Timor Telecom
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Globecast has doubled the SES satellite capacity at the heart of North America’s leading cable neighborhood to expand content-distribution services to dozens of U.S. cable networks. In other news released during IBC 2017, SES announced new deals with Viasat Ukraine, TV5MONDE, and Timor Telecom.
Globecast will be using two additional full transponders aboard the SES-1 satellite to deliver packaged programming.
Globecast Expands Cable Content Distribution in the U.S. with SES Video at Center of the Arc
As part of the new agreement announced by SES, Globecast will be using two additional full transponders aboard the SES-1 satellite to deliver packaged programming from content providers to cable systems across the continental U.S. Globecast already relies on a third transponder on SES-1 to meet the growing demand among dozens of cable networks and broadcasters for content distribution throughout the region.
“Globecast is building much of its regional and global content-distribution strategy using SES’s North American cable neighborhood, which is where the leading cable networks reside and where our clients have the best possible cable penetration,” explains Eddie Ferraro, managing director, Globecast Americas. “We’ve collaborated closely with SES for many years, always focused on developing tailored turnkey media-management and -distribution solutions for our customers in an evolving market. SES’s expertise and reliability play a pivotal role in our ability to grow our business in the demanding and all-important North American media market.”
In a separate agreement, Globecast has renewed a 36-MHz transponder on the SES-3 satellite, its fourth transponder on the Centre of the Arc cable distribution platform, home to media and entertainment leaders Discovery, Scripps Networks Interactive, HSN, and Viacom. SES-1 and SES-3, together with SES’s AMC-18 satellite, form what has fast become the sweet spot for regional content delivery and the backbone for much of Globecast’s media-delivery solution.
“SES continues to invest in a robust global network of satellites and ground infrastructure designed to help media-management innovators like Globecast create solutions to customer challenges,” says Steve Bunke, VP, SES Video in North America. “Just like Globecast, SES has built its businesses on customer-centric principles and strategies, which are clearly demonstrated at the Centre of the Arc — where Globecast and other leading media-management companies are differentiating their services with unrivaled reach and cable penetration.”
Viasat Ukraine Subscribers To Get Best-in-Class TV Reception
Viasat Ukraine, the largest DTH operator in Ukraine, will be providing top-quality TV reception to its subscribers using SES Video’s reliable services on ASTRA 4A.
Vision TV will be broadcasting about 40 pay-TV and about 60 free-to-air channels.
Under the multi-year agreement with SES, Vision TV will be broadcasting approximately 40 pay-TV channels, out of which 13 are in HD, and about 60 free-to-air channels at 5 degrees east. SES serves close to 13 million TV homes (including 4.5 million DTH homes) in Ukraine from this key orbital position, .
“We are very pleased that Viasat Ukraine has trusted us with the delivery of their video content,” says Norbert Hölzle, SVP, commercial Europe, SES Video. “This agreement with such an important TV player in Ukraine confirms our leading position in the country when it comes to DTH services. With the digital switchover approaching and the drive for encryption of satellite channels, we strongly believe there will be considerable growth opportunities in the market, and we expect to support our customers in seizing them.”
Says Viasat Ukraine CEO Svitlana Mischenko, “Viasat Ukraine offers the best collection of content available in local languages, and a reliable transmission of this content is key to keep entertaining our audience in the best possible way. That is why we chose to rely on SES’s track record in delivering high-quality services. We are confident that SES’s expertise will help us grow our audience and our TV business in the coming years.”
TV5MONDE Expands Distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa With SESVideo
TV5MONDE television network recently signed a long-term distribution contract with SES to broadcast three major free-to-air channels to the French-speaking and Francophile public in sub-Saharan Africa.
As part of the agreement, TV5MONDE will use the SES-5 satellite to broadcast three channels: main channel TV5MONDE Afrique, youth channel TiVi5MONDE, and lifestyle channel TV5MONDE Style HD. The three signals will be relayed to the satellite by the SES Video team.
Located at 5 degrees east, SES-5 provides optimal coverage for sub-Saharan countries. The video position 5 degrees east is a fast-growing neighborhood, made up of renowned TV platforms and more than 500 local and international channels, including 65 French-language channels.
“Thanks to Africa, the French language is being offered a new opportunity to broaden its reach, which is all the more decisive in a digital world where language is becoming increasingly important,” says Yves Bigot, directeur général, TV5MONDE. “This partnership with SES Video offers us ideal coverage to reach our numerous viewers and a recognized expertise to broadcast our three channels.”
SES Video CEO Ferdinand Kayser says, “We are delighted to help TV5MONDE extend the distribution of its channels across sub-Saharan Africa and, in our own way, contribute to the spread of the French language on this continent. TV5MONDE’s decision demonstrates the quality of our infrastructure and assets in these countries. Thanks to its powerful and robust coverage, our SES-5 satellite will allow TV5MONDE to distribute this new content offer in an optimal manner to cable and IP networks in the region, as well as reach the 3.8 million TV homes equipped with direct reception at 5 degrees east.”
Timor Telecom Deploys New 4G/LTE Network With SES Networks Service Upgrade
Timor Telecom (TT), the largest telecommunications operator in Timor-Leste, is expanding its service uptake with SES Networks by nearly 30% over the O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite fleet to roll out its new 4G/LTE network to customers across the country.
Timor Telecom will use the service upgrade to deliver enhanced connectivity and higher-speed mobile broadband services.
TT will use the service upgrade to deliver enhanced connectivity and higher-speed mobile broadband services to meet the exponential growth in demand coming from new subscribers. The network expansion will also enable TT to provide a superior customer experience to its mobile-data subscribers.
An early adopter of the MEO technology in 2014, TT has been using more than 1 Gbps of low-latency bandwidth over the O3b MEO fleet for three years. The company has since upgraded service with SES Networks four times to keep up with rising consumer demand. The company also benefits from site diversity with two SES Networks terminals deployed in Dili and Baucau, respectively, achieving excellent service reliability and network availability far exceeding 99.9% with the SES MEO fleet.
Timor Telecom CEO Manuel Capitao Amaro says, “All across Timor-Leste, mobile-data demand from consumers has reached unprecedented heights. The fiber-like low-latency capabilities of the O3b MEO fleet make it possible for Timor Telecom to provide an unparalleled mobile connectivity experience for our customers, through affordable and high-speed mobile packages and services. With the connectivity provided by the MEO fleet, we are certain that our 4G/LTE mobile data services will significantly boost connectivity for our customers throughout the country.”
Says Imran Malik, VP, fixed data, Asia-Pacific at SES Networks, “SES Networks and Timor Telecom have worked closely since 2014 to successfully deliver reliable, high-speed, and high-quality mobile-data and broadband services. 4G/LTE is now the next stage of connectivity for Timor-Leste. Empowered by our MEO network, Timor Telecom is taking a leap forward to enable even faster and more advanced connectivity for their growing base of customers across the country, and we are excited to be a part of this development.”
