Rai and Eutelsat Team up to Expand HD Broadcasting in Italy

PARIS and ROME, November 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Rai and Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) have sealed an agreement enabling Italy's public service broadcaster to deliver its new portfolio of HD channels across Italy via the TivùSat satellite platform that already reaches into 1.7 million television homes.

Rai will broadcast its three flagship channels in HD - Rai 1, Rai 2, Rai 3 - via TivùSat that transmits through Eutelsat's HOT BIRD satellites, Italy's leading video neighbourhood. This latest agreement between Rai and Eutelsat marks a new phase of collaboration in satellite broadcasting that has stretched over almost 30 years, spanning analogue, digital and now HD. For Rai, it confirms its commitment to enhancing the technical quality of its programming and strengthening the role of the public service in Italy's digital landscape.

Italian satellite TV homes will automatically receive Rai's new HD channels on a free-to-air basis through HD compatible set-top boxes receiving TivùSat. Launched in 2009, TivùSat is a free-to-view digital satellite platform that offers a wide range of Italian and international channels.

Renato Farina, CEO of Eutelsat Italia, declared: "This new step underscores Eutelsat's longstanding commitment to playing our part in the digitisation of broadcasting in Italy and to constantly enhancing the viewing experience. The launch of this initial test phase of Rai's new HD content at our HOT BIRD neighbourhood ensures immediate 100% coverage of Italian territory and underscores the increasing penetration of HD content across our broadcasting satellites."

About Eutelsat Communications

With capacity commercialised on 31 satellites delivering reach of  Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading satellite operators. As of 30 September 2013, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 4,700 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group's satellites also provide a wide range of services for TV contribution, corporate networks and fixed and mobile broadband markets. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ over 780 commercial, technical and operational professionals from 30 countries. http://www.eutelsat.com

SOURCE Eutelsat Communications