New 12-Year Contract Inked Between Eutelsat and Mediaset to Expand Digital Television in Italy

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Feb 15, 2011, 12:27 ET

PARIS, February 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Elettronica Industriale, the network operator of Italy's Mediaset Group, and Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced the signature of a 12-year contract for capacity at the HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood.

The new contract for one transponder further consolidates a 20-year relationship between the two companies, increasing Mediaset's HOT BIRD(TM) resources to five transponders. It will support Italy's nationwide transition into a fully digital broadcasting environment, particularly addressing Mediaset's requirement to deliver channels to its network of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) transmitters.

Andrew Wallace, Eutelsat's Chief Commercial Officer commented: "This new contract with Elettronica Industriale for Mediaset underscores just how much satellites are integrated by broadcasting groups as a key platform for effective content delivery. We are delighted to further extend our longstanding partnership with Elettronica Industriale, and that the performance and coverage of our HOT BIRD(TM) satellites continues to meet Italy's national agenda to operate in a digital television landscape."

Antonio Preti, Head of TV Transmission Services at Elettronica Industriale added: "With resources secured at the HOT BIRD(TM) position and on ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 3 to deliver Digital Terrestrial Television multiplexes to our rebroadcast towers and for live coverage of news, sports and entertainment events, Eutelsat's satellites are a core component of our network infrastructure, supporting our activities today and into the future."

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 27 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 30 September 2010, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,700 television channels to a measured audience of over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and 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 access to high speed internet 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 660 commercial, technical and operational experts from 28 countries.