Member Press Release

NEW DIRECTORS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF EUTELSAT COMMUNICATIONS

1109_Eutelsat

New Directors appointed to the Board of Eutelsat Communications

Paris, 8 November 2017 – The Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting of Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today approved the appointment of four new directors: Dominique D’Hinnin, Paul-François Fournier, Esther Gaide and Didier Leroy. Their mandates will be for a term of four years up to the date of the Ordinary General Meeting to approve the financial statements for the Financial Year ending 30 June 2021.

These appointments follow the non-renewal of the mandate of Bertrand Mabille and the resignation of Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun, as well as that of Michel de Rosen, whose term as Chairman of the Board of Directors ended today.

Dominique D’Hinnin spent much of his career at the Lagardère Group where he was Director of Internal Audit before being appointed Financial Director of Hachette Livre, Executive Vice President of Grolier Inc., Chief Financial Officer of Lagardère and finally co-manager until 2016. Until today’s Shareholders’ Meeting, he represented the Fonds Stratégique de Participations (FSP) on Eutelsat’s Board of Directors. Agnès Audier has replaced Dominique D’Hinnin as the representative of the Fonds Stratégique de Participations.

Esther Gaide is Chief Financial Officer of the Technicolor Group. She was previously Deputy Chief Financial Officer and HR Director of Havas Group for five years, after holding various financial positions within the Bolloré Group.

Paul-François Fournier is currently Director of Innovation and Member of the Executive Committee of the Banque Publique d’Investissement(Bpifrance) after having spent nearly 20 years at Orange where he held various positions, first in the Enterprise segment, subsequently at Wanadoo and finally as Head of the Orange Technocentre.

Didier Leroy is a recognised expert in the automotive industry. He began his career at Renault where he held various positions before joining Toyota, where he is now Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors of Toyota Motor Corporation.

At the end of the General Meeting, the new Board met and appointed Dominique d’Hinnin as Chairman.

Speaking as the new Chairman, Dominique d’Hinnin said: “I am honoured to become Chairman of the Board of Eutelsat and to succeed Michel de Rosen in this role. Eutelsat has become a global player in the satellite industry under his Chairmanship. He has impressed his mark on the Group and I thank him warmly for his accomplishments on behalf of all Board members. I am also delighted to continue my mission alongside Rodolphe Belmer and the teams at Eutelsat who are fully committed to the Group’s development and to achieving the objectives set out in the strategic plan.”

The Board is now made up of twelve members, 42% of whom are women (five out of twelve) and 67% of whom are independent directors (eight out of twelve). It is composed as follows:
• Dominique D’Hinnin, Chairman*
• Rodolphe Belmer, Chief Executive Officer
• Lord Birt, Vice Chairman*
• Bpifrance Participations (formerly FSI) represented by Stéphanie Frachet
• FSP represented by Agnès Audier*
• Jean d’Arthuys
• Ana Garcia Fau*
• Paul François Fournier
• Esther Gaide*
• Didier Leroy*
• Ross McInnes*
• Carole Piwnica*
* Independent Directors
The Combined General Meeting also approved all the other resolutions, including the approval of the accounts, the dividend for the 2016-17 Financial Year, (€1.21 per share, paid on 23 November 2017), executive compensation and financial resolutions.

About Eutelsat Communications
Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,600 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 32 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.
Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL).
For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com
Press
Vanessa O’Connor Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 voconnor@eutelsat.com
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 mecuer@eutelsat.com
Investors and analysts
Joanna Darlington Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Cédric Pugni Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 cpugni@eutelsat.com

Streaming services scooping up big 4 affiliates as competition grows – Research according to S&P Global Market Intelligence

Thank you in advance for citing Kagan, a group within S&P Global Market Intelligence, should you choose to use any of this information in your reporting.

As competition heats up, virtual service providers such as Hulu LLC’s Hulu with Live TV, AT&T Inc.’s DIRECTV NOW and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Vue are racing to add live local stations to bolster channel lineups and lock in subscribers.

Kagan, a group within S&P Global Market Intelligence, has examined the streaming sector to gauge the reach of ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC in the space. The analysis is based on the most recent company reports and public information for select VSPs, including Hulu with Live TV, DISH Network Corp.’s Sling TV, Sony’s PlayStation Vue, AT&T’s DIRECTV NOW, Alphabet Inc. unit Google Inc.’s YouTube TV, FuboTV and CBS Corp.’s over-the-top service CBS All Access.

• Affiliates are opting into streaming deals more rapidly in large part due to the big four networks’ blanket arrangements that allow the affiliates to opt in to these streaming deals.
• Hulu has grown its total household reach of live local stations by 17.8% from 87.4 million U.S. households, or 71.5% of total U.S. households, to nearly 103.0 million, or 84.1% of total U.S. households.
• DIRECTV NOW has added 56 new livestreaming big four stations to its platform since our July analysis, now totaling 149. The service added 17 ABC affiliate stations, seven NBC stations and 17 FOX stations since the end of July.
• Additional findings on YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sony PlayStation Vue, Sling TV and more can be found in the full analysis.

Link to full analysis: https://www.snl.com/web/client?auth=inherit#news/article?id=42235307&cdid=A-42235307-133611107_S&P_Global

Farhan Husain
External Communications Manager

S&P Global | Market Intelligence
55 Water Street
New York, NY, 10041
T: 212-438-3271
farhan.husain@spglobal.com
www.spglobal.com

Maiden Landing of BBC Brit in South Korea

6 November 2017

BBC Worldwide has inked a deal with CJ Hellovision that sees factual entertainment brand BBC Brit in South Korea for the first time. BBC Brit takes the form of a branded space on CJ Hellovision’s new OTT product, Viewing in Korea.

CJ Hellovision is the largest pay TV television company in South Korea, with over 3.2 million subscribers. It has just launched Viewing, its latest OTT product offering real-time TV channels, VOD movies and programmes for both smart TVs and digital devices.

The deal gives Viewing box owners in South Korea access to over 100 hours of BBC Brit content that is intelligent and irreverent, covering science, adventure, business, extreme characters, quirky eccentrics, music, sport and comedy.

Programmes available at launch include Fishing Impossible in which three fishing fanatics take on the ultimate extreme fishing trip across the globe to find the catch of the season; Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week (series two) – where super fit men and women endure 12 days of physical and mental endurance to discover who can survive and ultimately win; and Million Dollar Car Hunters – where viewers can step into the jaw-dropping world of the car specialists who travel the globe hunting down highly sought-after automobiles for wealthy collectors.

“We are very excited to extend our partnership with CJ Hellovision with BBC Brit. We have had a long and fruitful relationship with them, having worked with them to deliver BBC Earth and BBC World News to their viewers, as well as providing them with dramas and documentaries for their other TV and OTT services. We’ve also partnered with its sister company, CJ E&M to develop Top Gear Korea. And now, we worked with them to debut a BBC Brit branded space,” said Soojin Chung, GM of BBC Worldwide in North East Asia. “This deal seals our commitment. We will continue to work with CJ to develop new and innovative ways to meet the needs of their discerning viewers.”

Mr Younggook Lee, Chief Marketing Officer, CJ Hellovision, commented: “BBC Earth and BBC World News has grown steadily and have a fan base in Korea. We are delighted to be working with BBC Worldwide again to launch our new OTT player with BBC Brit content, and are looking forward to future opportunities for collaboration.”

The service was soft launched last week in South Korea.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:

Jeanne Leong
BBC Worldwide
Tel: +65 6849 5292
Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

Jessie Lim
BBC Worldwide
Tel: +65 6849 5295
Email: Jessie.Lim@bbc.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2016/17 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £157.3m and headline sales of £1,059.9m and returned £210.5m to the BBC.

For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/.

bbcworldwide.com
twitter.com/bbcwpress

HBO ASIA’S FIRST ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY THE TALWARS: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS PREMIERES ON NOVEMBER 26 EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

The Four-Part Documentary Following The Trials And Aftermath Of India’s Biggest Murder Mystery Will Be Streaming On HBO GO And Will Also Available On HBO On Demand

Catch the Official Trailer here
Download Hi-Res Stills here

SINGAPORE, OCTOBER 30, 2017 – HBO Asia’s first original documentary, THE TALWARS: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is a gripping documentary that examines the double murder of a teenage girl and her family’s household servant in Noida, India, that quickly became one of India’s biggest murder mysteries, capturing worldwide attention. Produced in association with Star India, the four-part hour-long HBO Asia Original Documentary Series premieres on Sunday, November 26 at 9pm (SIN) exclusively on HBO. Parts 2, 3 and 4 will debut on subsequent Sundays at the same time. The documentary will be streaming on HBO GO and will also available on HBO On Demand.

The documentary begins with Drs. Rajesh and Nupur Talwar on the morning of 16 May 2008, discovering their daughter, Aarushi Talwar, lying dead in her bed, bludgeoned and with her throat cut. Their Nepali servant, Hemraj Banjade, is missing and believed to be the culprit until his bloated and battered body is discovered on the apartment roof terrace. There were seemingly just the four people in the apartment that night and only two of them are still alive. To the police investigation teams leading the inquiry, the parents must be the murderers, but after nine years, three investigations, a trial and appeal, and now an acquittal, nothing is as it seems. In English and Hindi with English and local language subtitles*, the documentary features never-before-seen exclusive interviews with Aarushi’s parents, THE TALWARS: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS speaks with those most closely involved in this twisted tale of intrigue, mystery that has turned this double murder into one of India’s most notorious crimes.

Mr. Jonathan Spink, CEO of HBO Asia, says, “THE TALWARS: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS marks HBO Asia’s first original documentary, adding to our ever-expanding repertoire of HBO Asia Original productions which includes series and movies. With this documentary, HBO Asia continues to showcase interesting and relevant stories from around the region that resonates strongly with the Asian audience.”

Episodes Include:
Part 1
Debut: Sunday, November 26 at 9pm (SIN) on HBO

After the brutal murder of their teenage daughter, Aarushi, hopes of swift justice crumble for the Talwars as the prime suspect, the family servant, is found dead and decomposing on the roof terrace of the family home. Under intense media scrutiny, the local police scramble to find the culprit quickly, leading them to arrest the grieving father.

Part 2
Debut: Sunday, December 3 at 9pm (SIN) on HBO

What appears to be a botched local police investigation into the double murder, forces authorities to quickly replace the police with India’s elite investigative unit – the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI clears the father of killing his daughter and servant as the investigation’s focus swings to nearby servants and staff, escalating social and class tensions.

Part 3
Debut: Sunday, December 10 at 9pm (SIN) on HBO

A new officer reinvigorates the stalled CBI investigation, switching track and pursuing both parents. Despite little hard evidence and increasingly desperate legal battles, Drs. Nupur and Rajesh Talwar eventually find themselves in the dock charged with murdering their own daughter and servant.

Part 4
Debut: Sunday, December 17 at 9pm (SIN) on HBO

After more than nine years and three investigations, this is a case that still haunts India. As the parents win their appeal, the case is reassessed and troubling questions emerge over what really happened the night Aarushi and Hemraj died.

THE TALWARS: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is HBO Asia’s fourth Original production this year following the second season of HALFWORLDS, the dark action fantasy drama series set in Bangkok which premiered in January, the award-winning THE TEENAGE PSYCHIC, HBO Asia’s first original Chinese series set in Taiwan that premiered with breakthrough ratings in April, and SENT, HBO Asia’s first comedy drama series that premiered in September. To date, HBO Asia has produced ten Asian Originals with more slated to premiere in the coming years.

HBO Asia’s first original documentary, THE TALWARS: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, premieres exclusively on HBO on Sunday, November 26 at 9pm (SIN). New episodes from the four-part hour-long series will premiere on subsequent Sundays at the same time. The documentary will be streaming on HBO GO and will also available on HBO On Demand.

# # #

* Where available.

ABOUT HBO ASIA
Singapore-based HBO Asia brings the best of Hollywood to Asia first through its exclusive licensing deals with major Hollywood and independent studios, including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate. HBO Asia has proprietary and award-winning HBO and HBO Asia Original programmes that are produced exclusively for HBO viewers. Wholly owned by HBO (a Time Warner company), HBO Asia reaches 23 territories across Asia and offers a bouquet of channels and services including 24-hour commercial-free subscription movie channels in standard-definition and high-definition – HBO, HBO SIGNATURE, HBO FAMILY, HBO HITS, CINEMAX and RED by HBO – as well as HBO GO and HBO ON DEMAND. HBO Asia is also the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst and the DreamWorks channel in Asia. Log on to www.hboasia.com for more information.

HBO_social_media
HBO, Home Box Office, HBO Asia Originals and related service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. Used with permission. ©2017 HBO PACIFIC PARTNERS, V.O.F. AND STAR INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED. ©2017 HBO Asia. All rights reserved.

For more information, please contact HBO Asia:

Karen Lai
Senior Director, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1796
Email: karen.lai@hboasia.com

Cheryl Foong
Manager, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1838
Email: cheryl.foong@hboasia.com

Chan Zi Ning
Executive, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1746
Email: zining.chan@hboasia.com

This e-mail is intended only for the use of the addressees. Any copying, forwarding, printing or other use of this e-mail by persons other than the addressees is not authorized. This e-mail may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately by return e-mail (including the original message in your reply) and then delete and discard all copies of the e-mail. Thank you.

TV Connect MENA conference: Security expert Conax to present essential insight for pay-TV operators on deploying Android STBs

Dubai, Oct 27th, 2017: Conax, part of the Kudelski Group and a leader in total service protection for digital entertainment services worldwide, announced at the TV Connect MENA conference in Dubai it will share key insight in deploying Android STBs. In addition, a team from Conax will be demonstrating the Contego Multi-DRM and the Conax GO Live OTT multiscreen solutions at the exhibition, Stand #1, October 30th – 31st, at the “The Address Dubai Marina” conference center.

TV Connect MENA Conference: Oct. 30th, Session II at 4:10 pm

“Learn how Android STBs fit within your pay-TV service”
Conax` SVP EMEA, Thomas Blichfeldt, brings extensive market experience in the European, Middle East and African markets and expertise in connecting pay-TV operators with the solutions that best match their business and target market. In this special conference session, Thomas will provide participants with valuable insight on the following topics:
• Android options for next generation set top boxes
• Benefits and impact for a pay-TV service
• Potential security pitfalls in a connected Android eco-system
• How to successfully create a compelling and secure Android-based pay-TV proposition

“Consumer interest for Android is growing in all markets based on its additional rich features and access to a wide range of 3rd party apps and connected devices,” confirms Thomas Blichfeldt. Thus, hybrid STBs based on Android OS and Android TV are increasingly attractive for pay-TV operators interested in creating a broadcast OTT offering with a wider range of entertainment services for its subscribers.”

“However, the large network of app developers also makes Android potentially highly vulnerable and exposed platform as Android STB populations are deployed on open, connected platforms. Conax is providing crucial guidance for operators deploying Android STBs to help reduce complexity and make Android a secure, lucrative option for pay-TV. Conax is partnering with Google and numerous leading technology partners to provide comprehensive, secure Android STB solutions.”

During the TV Connect MENA conference, a team from Conax will be available for discussion and demonstrations on launching future-oriented pay-TV services including comprehensive, fast-to-market Multi-DRM and pre-integrated OTT multiscreen solutions.

About Conax

A Kudelski Group company, Conax is a leading global specialist in total service protection for digital TV and entertainment services via broadcast, broadband and connected devices. Based on the Conax Contego security back-end, Conax’ future-ready technology offers modular, fast-time-to-market solutions that enable easy entry into a world of secure multiscreen, multi-DRM and IPTV content delivery and secures rights for premium content delivery to a range of devices over new hybrid network combinations. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, ISO 9001 & 27001 certified Conax technology enables secure content revenues for 425 operators in 85 countries globally. For more information, please visit www.conax.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube to join the conversation.

Conax media contact
Leslie Johnsen
Head of Public Relations & Communications, Conax
Mob: +47 41 45 80 43
Email: leslie.johnsen@conax.com

Astro Awarded Digital Transformer Award in Malaysia by IDC ASEAN

Inaugural awards seek out disruptive, leading-edge organisations who have successfully carried out digital transformation in Malaysia

1024 - From left to right - Sudev Bangah, Managing Director IDC ASEAN, Dato Rohana Rozhan, Astro Group CEO, Pranabesh Nath, Research Director, IDC Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 24, 2017 – Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (‘Astro’) was awarded Digital Transformer in Malaysia by International Data Corporation (‘IDC’) ASEAN in its inaugural Digital Transformation Awards (IDC DX Awards). IDC’s DX Awards recognises outstanding organisations that have made critical breakthroughs in digital transformation across the Asia Pacific region.

Dato’ Rohana Rozhan, Group CEO of Astro said, “In our journey of reinvention, Astro is embracing change brought about by digital, online and mobile while staying true to our core as a consumer-focused company. Our household proposition has been strong over the past 20 years, where today we serve 72% of total Malaysian households. While we will continue to grow this base, our aspiration is to be top of mind in both the household and individual spaces across Malaysia and the region.
The company has launched and built digital consumer brands such as Astro GO and Tribe, our local and regional OTT service; Go Shop, our ecommerce platform; Gempak, top Malay entertainment portal and Awani, a leading digital news platform. Today, Astro operates over 40 digital brands across websites and apps, reaching almost 7mn unique visitors per month.
Along with the digital transformation of the entire organisation, the last few years have been instrumental in learning and building our capabilities in software development, artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, video delivery, ad technologies and e-commerce, and in so doing, improving efficiencies and cost to serve, enhancing our customer experience in omni-channel interaction and personalisation as well as delivering effective advertising solutions and reach to marketers.
We see the need to step up our pace and immersion in learning and relearning, building on our strengths and capabilities in our quest for increasing customer relevance in the New World. We are encouraged by the IDC DX award which recognises Astro’s progress in our journey to remain a focussed customer centric, digital, cloud and mobile-first, analytics driven organisation.”
“One of the most important steps in a successful digital transformation journey is to be able to visualize where the company needs to be in the near future, and how digital technologies can play a role. This require both business and technology teams working together, supported by the top leadership of the company. Based on IDC’s assessment of digital transformation projects for the 2017 DX awards, Astro’s nomination is impressive in its all-inclusive scope that examines the external and internal aspects of DX success, with the goal being towards a leader in the market segment. Not many companies take up this approach because it is quite challenging to execute and implement it.” said Pranabesh Nath, Research Director – IDC Malaysia.
Astro’s digital transformation project was selected among hundred high-quality entries received from end-user organisations across different industries in Asia/Pacific. Astro’s win in Malaysia automatically qualifies the company for the IDC DX regional awards final where all country winners will be benchmarked against one another for Asia/Pacific’s very best.
For more information about the award, visit www.IDCDXawards.com.

For media inquiries, please contact Tammy Toh tammy_toh@astro.com.my, Tessa Rago trago@idc.com or Alvin Afuang aafuang@idc.com

###

About Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (‘Astro’)
Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (‘Astro’) is a leading Malaysian and ASEAN content and consumer company in the Digital, TV, Radio and eCommerce space, serving 5.3 million customers representing 72% of Malaysian households and 21 million individuals in these homes, 15.4 million listeners weekly on 11 radio stations and 6.7 million unique visitors per month across its entertainment and lifestyle portals and mobile apps. Regionally the group serves over 1.1 million consumers in Malaysia and Singapore through Go Shop’s ecommerce platform and 2 million users on its OTT service, TRIBE in Indonesia, The Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Astro holds the distinction of the ‘Gold’ award in the Media and Entertainment category at the Putra Brand Awards for 7 consecutive years from 2010 to 2016, including the ‘Brand of the Year’ award in 2012, the ‘Brand Icon’ award in 2013 and the ‘Malaysian Marketer of the Year’ award in 2016. Astro has also been recognised by CNBC for Asia’s Best Talent Management and Asia’s Business Leader Awards. Astro Kasih is the company’s CSR arm, who has won multi award winning programmes including the Guinness World Book of Records for the Longest Underwater Clean Up.

About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world’s leading media, data and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.

About IDC DX Awards
The IDC DX Award categories and corresponding selection criteria are aligned to reflect the present-day transformation in the IT industry. The categories include: Digital Disruptor of the Year, Digital Transformer of the Year. IDC DX Awards is the first program in the market that acknowledges the game-changing stride and achievements of different organisations, to lead the region at the dawn of DX economy.
IDC’s DX Awards follows a three-phased approach for determining country and regional winners. Each nomination goes through an initial assessment carried out by a local IDC analyst. The second phase requires all nominated organisations to go through IDC’s MaturityScape benchmark for Digital Transformation. Lastly, local and regional analysts, with inputs from the academe, will convene to review the nomination, the MaturityScape results, and the country/industry landscape.

BBC Worldwide signs Blue Planet II co-production deal with Tencent in China

Left to right: James Honeyborne, Executive Producer of Blue Planet II,  Mr Lexian Zhu, Deputy Director of Tencent Penguin Pictures Documentary Studio, David Weiland, EVP Asia, BBC Worldwide Asia and Julian Hector, Head of The Natural History Unit, BBC Studios

Left to right: James Honeyborne, Executive Producer of Blue Planet II, Mr Lexian Zhu, Deputy Director of Tencent Penguin Pictures Documentary Studio, David Weiland, EVP Asia, BBC Worldwide Asia and Julian Hector, Head of The Natural History Unit, BBC Studios

BBC Worldwide has announced a co-production deal with Tencent, the leading internet value added services provider in China, for Blue Planet II, the BBC’s landmark natural history series this year.

The agreement, sealed at Mipcom, was signed by Lexian Zhu, Deputy Director of Tencent Penguin Pictures Documentary Studio and David Weiland, EVP Asia, BBC Worldwide Asia. It was witnessed by Stephani Sun, Senior Manager of Tencent Penguin Pictures, Kelvin Yau, GM Greater China, James Honeyborne, Executive Producer of Blue Planet II, and Julian Hector, Head of The Natural History Unit, BBC Studios.

Blue Planet II is the brand new seven-part landmark series from the multi-award winning BBC Studios Natural History Unit,. Broadcast in 2001, multi-award winning The Blue Planet was the Natural History Unit’s unprecedented look at the world’s oceans, the scale and breadth of which had never been seen before. Twenty years on, the team returned to these underwater worlds for Blue Planet II, with even more ambitious filming and a fresh cast of extraordinary aquatic animals, filming off every continent, and in all of the earth’s oceans, to immerse the audience in some of the most expansive but least known parts of our planet. By using cutting-edge breakthroughs in science and technology to explore this final frontier, Blue Planet II will reveal the astonishing characters, otherworldly places and extraordinary new animal behaviours.

It will broadcast simultaneously in China and the UK on Tencent’s v.qq.com platform and video app. Tencent will also distribute Blue Planet II across digital on-demand platforms in Greater China.

“Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, Blue Planet II is set to be another game changer. The team has spent four years mounting 125 expeditions, visited 39 countries, and filmed off every continent and across every ocean,” said David Weiland, EVP, Asia, BBC Worldwide. “We are very excited to be co-producing this landmark series with Tencent whom we have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship. This production partnership is an affirmation of the shared commitment we have in producing ambitious natural history content. Tencent’s involvement will bring this landmark series to a wider audience in Greater China.”
“We’ve been partnering with BBC Worldwide for some time to bring premium documentaries to our audiences in China,” said Mr Lexian Zhu, Deputy Director of Tencent Penguin Pictures Documentary Studio. “Last year, we co-produced Planet Earth II which did extremely well – the entire Planet Earth II album online was viewed over 230 million times in China. We are looking forward to this new co-production partnership for Blue Planet II, and look forward to working with BBC Worldwide on more fruitful and successful partnerships.”

In China, state broadcaster, China Central Television’s documentary channel, CCTV9, is the exclusive TV partner for Blue Planet II.

-ends-

Further information:
Jeanne Leong
BBC Worldwide
Tel: +65 6849 5292
Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

Eurochannel upgrades to HD at Eutelsat’s key video neighbourhood at 16° East

eurochannel

Miami, Paris, 16 October 2017 – Eurochannel, the international channel dedicated to high-quality European films and series, today announced from MIPCOM in Cannes its upgrade from Standard to High Definition (HD) with Eutelsat. Already a direct customer of Eutelsat for the last five years, the channel is now expanding its capacity on thehigh-power EUTELSAT 16A satellite to launch its HD version for European viewers.

EUTELSAT 16A is positioned at Eutelsat’s 16° East key neighbourhood, a preferred location for TV distribution to terrestrial networks across Europe, from Reykjavik to Moscow and Tenerife to Tbilisi. Eurochannel is currently received by more than 70 cable and IP operators in 17 countries across Europe and will leverage EUTELSAT 16A’s reach to reinforce its European distribution that recently extended to Russia, Lithuania and Croatia. The upgraded HD channel will be uplinked from Bosnia via Eutelsat’s partner teleport “TEAM:MEDIA”.

Eurochannel is an award-winning world television channel dedicated to showing the diversity of European culture through films and series, as well as content featuring European fashion events, arts and destinations. Its move to HD underlines its commitment to meeting user expectation for an enhanced viewing experience.

eurochannel_logo

About Eurochannel

Eurochannel is the award-winning world leading European cinema Pay TV channel. For more information, please visit: www.eurochannel.com

Media contacts

Joseph de Monvallier

VP Marketing & Sales

Eurochannel, Inc.

joseph@eurochannel.com

About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,600 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 32 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.

Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL).

For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com

Press

Vanessa O’Connor Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 voconnor@eutelsat.com
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 mecuer@eutelsat.com

Investors and analysts

Joanna Darlington Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Cédric Pugni Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 cpugni@eutelsat.com

VIACOM INTERNATIONAL MEDIA NETWORKS NAMES ASIF ALI AS DIRECTOR, AFFILIATE SALES, SOUTHEAST ASIA

SINGAPORE, 16 OCTOBER 2017 – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) today announced the appointment of Asif Ali as Director, Affiliate Sales, Southeast Asia. In this role, Asif is responsible for leading and growing channel and content distribution across linear and digital platforms in the Southeast Asian region for the Viacom brands – MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, Paramount Channel and BET. Based in Singapore, he will report to Paras Sharma, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Southeast Asia.

“In the midst of market shifts, we continue to see growth opportunities in Southeast Asia across the Viacom brand portfolio. The way ahead is to work even more closely with our partners and find different solutions thus Asif’s multi-market experience will be a valuable asset to VIMN, as we look to extend our product offering across linear and digital platforms,” said Paras Sharma, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Southeast Asia.

Asif was most recently Global Channel Distribution Manager at ITV International Channels, and based in Hong Kong. In his three-year tenure there, he drove the strategy, sales and distribution of ITV’s international channel – ITV Choice and implemented distribution strategies aligned to business objectives. Previously, he worked at Sky Vision and Metro International Film Sales in London, where he was involved in international sales at both organisations.

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About Viacom International Media Networks

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Eutelsat consolidates its presence in Middle East with the acquisition of NOORSAT

Eutelsat Corporate – Oct 13, 2017 10:28 CEST
noorsat

Paris, 13 October 2017 – Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) has acquired NOORSAT, one of the leading satellite service providers in the Middle East, from Bahrain’s Orbit Holding Group.

Established in 2004, NOORSAT is the premier distributor of Eutelsat capacity in the Middle East, serving blue-chip customers and providing services for over 300 TV channels almost exclusively from Eutelsat’s market-leading Middle East and North Africa neighbourhoods at 7/8° West and 25.5° East.

The acquisition of NOORSAT fits with Eutelsat’s broader strategy of streamlining distribution within selected core video neighbourhoods where it can create value. It will allow Eutelsat to strengthen the long term commercial development of its market-leading video positions in the Arabic world and increase its direct access to end-customers, facilitating stimulation of High Definition TV take-up and the upselling of incremental video services.

Michel Azibert, Eutelsat Chief Commercial and Development Officer, said: “NOORSAT’s capabilities and market knowledge will further consolidate our longstanding position in the dynamic Middle East video market. By integrating NOORSAT’s service platform and teams we are underlining our commitment to serving customers in one of the key markets within in our global footprint.”

Eutelsat has acquired 100% of NOORSAT for a consideration of US$75 million, debt free and cash free. The acquisition will add upwards of US$15 million to Eutelsat’s consolidated revenues on an annualised basis after the elimination of the capacity leased by Eutelsat from NOORSAT. Its slightly dilutive impact on Eutelsat’s EBITDA margin will be absorbed within the current margin objectives.

About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world’s leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,600 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 32 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.

Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL).

For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com

Press
Vanessa O’Connor Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 voconnor@eutelsat.com
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 mecuer@eutelsat.com

Investors and analysts
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