Digiturk Pay-TV Platform Renews to 2021 its Satellite Capacity With Eutelsat

PARIS and ISTANBUL, March 18, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris : ETL) and Digiturk, Turkey's leading pay-TV platform, today announced the signature of a major agreement for the lease renewal of 12 transponders until 2021 at Eutelsat's 7 degrees East video neighbourhood occupied by its W3A satellite. With this agreement, Digiturk has secured long-term access to premium resources for delivering television, radio and interactive services to satellite homes across Turkey.

The Digiturk platform was launched in 2000 at 7 degrees East and currently comprises more than 170 television channels, of which six broadcast in High-Definition. Channels are delivered via the high-power regional beam on Eutelsat's W3A satellite, which provides optimal coverage over Turkey. Launched in 2004, W3A has enabled Digiturk to build one of the largest pay-TV operator in the region, serving over 2.5 million subscriber homes. Digiturk also leases capacity on other Eutelsat satellites for newgathering requirements and delivering programmes to the platform's studios in Istanbul.

In addition to developing an exceptional range of channels, Digiturk has built its success on innovation, pioneering HDTV content in 2007 and launching Video-on-Demand services in HD with a PVR for local storage.

Commenting on the contract renewal, Michel De Rosen, Eutelsat Communications CEO said: "10 years on from the launch at Eutelsat's 7 degrees East neighbourhood, Digiturk is today both one of the leading pay-TV players in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin and a reference for quality and innovation. We are proud to accompany this tremendous success and to see our business relationship consolidated through this new long term lease that supports the leadership of W3A in Turkey's dynamic digital video market."

About Digiturk

DIGITURK is the first and only digital platform in Turkey that operates since 2000 within Çukurova Group. As of end of August 2009, offering premium content through 176 television, radio and interactive channels.

DIGITURK has been appealing to different tastes through movies and TV series from major Hollywood studios and its exclusive football content. It holds exclusive rights for the Turkcell Super League football matches until the end of the 2013-1014 seasons with HD (High Definition) quality.

It offers multi-channel subscription packages and pay-per-view content including general entertainment, sports, news, movies, adult, music, documentaries and children's programming. Selected programs are available in original language, subtitled or dubbed in Turkish. Subscribers have also free access to a selection of interactive services, such as realtime multiplayer games, home shopping, home banking, weather forecast and realitme stock exchange data.

DIGITURK has 2.5 million subscribers with its well-established distribution and sales network in Turkey.

DIGITURK Plus is also the premium product that has VOD(video on demand) and PVR (personal video recorder) features for the subscriber, which is unique in Turkey. Addionally, with DIGITURK plus, subscribers have met the HD content for the first time. And today Digiturk has 6 HD channels ( LIG TVHD, SPORMAXHD, DizimaxHD, MoviemaxHD, National Geographic HD and EUROSPORT HD), which makes DIGITURK is a leader in Turkey about HD content.

http://www.digiturk.com.tr

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 26 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 31 December 2009, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,400 television channels and close to 1,100 radio stations. More than 1,000 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 123 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 635 employees from 27 countries.

    http://www.eutelsat.com

    Eutelsat Press Contacts
    Vanessa O'Connor      Tel.:+33(0)1-53-98-37-91   [email protected]
    Frederique Gautier    Tel.:+33(0)1-53-98-37-91   [email protected]

    Investor Relations Contact
    Lisa Sanders Finas   Tel.: +33(0)1-53-98-30-92
                         [email protected]

SOURCE Eutelsat Communications