Amsterdam, London, Paris, 12 September 2015 – Arqiva, the leading communications infrastructure and media services company in the UK, announced today that it has signed a multi-year commitment with Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) for a 14th transponder at the 28° East video neighbourhood, to serve the UK DTH (Direct-to-Home) broadcasting market.

Arqiva’s strong portfolio of capacity at the UK’s premium neighbourhood, combined with encryption, multiplexing and uplinking services, position it as a key partner for channels seeking to engage with Sky and Freesat homes. The additional capacity will expand Arqiva’s extensive digital multiplex offering and broaden the options available to its existing and future customer base.

David Crawford, Managing Director for Satellite and Media, Arqiva, said: “Arqiva’s multi-year agreement with Eutelsat not only supports our continued growth in the satellite market, but it also confirms our long-term commitment to our customers, and to delivering them service excellence at great value.”

Michel Azibert, Chief Commercial and Development Officer at Eutelsat, added: “We are proud to meet the exact requirements of the largest satellite and media service provider in the UK. The Arqiva team has its finger on the pulse of broadcasting in the UK and we are delighted that our satellite capacity forms an integral part of their response to customers.”

Where to meet us at IBC:
Arqiva stand: Hall 1.B61
Eutelsat stand: Hall 1.D59

About Arqiva
Arqiva provides innovative and secure communications and broadcast technology. We’re extending the reach of mobile communications, shaping the future of broadcast, liberating WiFi for brand owners and unlocking the potential of the Internet of Things. Customers include major UK and international broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV, Turner Broadcasting, Sky plc; the independent radio groups; major telco providers including the UK’s four mobile network operators; and retail, leisure, energy and water companies.

Alexia Hanson
Head of Public Relations (Interim)
Direct: +44 330 303 6701
Mobile: +44 7966 991510 www.arqiva.com

About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 38 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.

Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit 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

LUXEMBOURG, 11 September 2015 — SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announced today that it will demonstrate two Ultra HD (UHD) High Dynamic Range (HDR) transmissions at IBC 2015.

Broadcast via SES’s prime orbital slot of 19.2 degrees East, the content will showcase two features that will further enhance Ultra HD: High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Colour Gamut (WCG). These two features will bring more contrast and a larger palette of colours, respectively.

Together with LG Electronics, SES is broadcasting a live demo of UHD HDR using the SMPTE 2084 (HDR) and BT.2020 (WCG) standards, and will display the content on an LG UHD OLED display at the IBC. The same demo was also shown at IFA 2015.
SES is also partnering with Dolby Laboratories to broadcast Ultra HD content using Dolby Vision HDR, which is backwards compatible with existing UHD 1 Phase 1 TVs that are already in consumers’ homes.

SES and Samsung demonstrated the world’s first satellite broadcast of Ultra HD HDR at the annual SES Industry Days in May 2015, using the BBC Research & Development’s backwards compatible hybrid gamma system.

SES continues to be at the forefront of Ultra HD developments, together with industry partners, bringing Ultra HD to a higher level of viewing experience via satellite.

To view the SES demos at IBC 2015, please visit Hall 1, stand 1.B51.

Read the recently published SES Ultra HD White Paper on how Ultra HD is gaining a steady momentum here:
http://read.uberflip.com/i/568958-ses-white-paper-ultra-hd-september2015

For further information please contact:
Markus Payer

Corporate Communications
Tel. +352 710 725 500
Markus.Payer@ses.com

Follow us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SES.YourSatelliteCompany
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SESVideoChannel
Blog: http://www.ses.com/blog

SES Pictures are available under http://www.ses.com/21472913/Our_Pictures
SES White papers are available under http://www.ses.com/18681915/white-papers

About SES
SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) is the world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of more than 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.
SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the satellite industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.

SES holds a participation in O3b Networks, a next generation satellite network combining the reach of satellite with the speed of fibre.

Further information available at: www.ses.com.

Amsterdam, Paris, 11 September 2015 – Telekom Austria Group, Austria’s leading telco, and ANTIK Telekom, the largest regional telco in Slovakia, have selected the EUTELSAT 16A satellite of Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) for their new Direct-to-Home platform for the Slovak and Czech market. Called ANTIK Sat, the new platform is due to launch early next month. In order to support ANTIK Sat’s strong line-up of 90+ channels, of which one third in High Definition, Telekom Austria Group is doubling capacity leased on the EUTELSAT 16A satellite from four to eight transponders. The announcements were made today by the three companies at a press conference during IBC in Amsterdam.

ANTIK Sat is a joint development initiated by Telekom Austria Group and ANTIK Telekom. ANTIK Telecom will now add satellite broadcasting to its expertise in Internet, IPTV and VoIP services via fibre and wireless infrastructure. The platform will include local channels for Slovak and Czech markets and a wide range of international channels. It will also feature an online archive which marks an innovation for a satellite service in both countries. Second-screen online solutions for smart devices will also be available.

Telekom Austria Group will provide a broad portfolio of platform services to ANTIK Telekom, ranging from licensing, encoding with MPEG-4 compression, Conax encryption and uplinking to EUTELSAT 16A from its teleport in Aflenz.

The new service will be marketed on-line and through more than 150 independent distributors across both countries. ANTIK plans in a second stage to offer hybrid boxes combining satellite reception and IP services. It will also seek to forge partnerships with other service providers in Slovak and Czech markets. ANTIK will provide the new TV service at no additional cost to existing customers of its Internet packages and has developed special offers for new customers, such as a starter package at less than one euro and rich HD content packages with mobile TV services included. End users of Internet providers can now watch television at favourable rates included in their Internet or phone packages. Vouchers and set-top boxes can be ordered online and bought at well-known electronics outlets and retail chains.

“Two years ago, Telekom Austria Group kicked off a new satellite broadcasting venture with Eutelsat aimed at accelerating the transition from analogue to digital in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Stefan Amon, Director Wholesale, Telekom Austria Group. “Following our remarkable success in Croatia and Bulgaria we have found an innovative leader with ANTIK Telekom who is willing to go the extra mile in providing a satellite TV platform and related services in the region. In addition to deep insight of local markets, our new partner brings exceptional technological competence and extensive experience that enriches our product with compelling features such as a TV archive and mobile TV.”

Igor Kolla, General Manager of Antik Telecom, added: “The agreement with our Austrian partner ensures our further expansion in Slovakia and the Czech Republic and opens new business fields for us. In addition to our own customers, we intend to address other Slovak and Czech providers who are keen to offer TV services. Our joint turnkey solution will enable them to address their subscribers with TV services combined with Internet and telephony at favourable rates without initial investment.”

Apostolos Triantafyllou, Eutelsat’s Senior Vice President forSales in German-speaking markets, Central Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, summed up: “The launch of ANTIK Sat and Telekom Austria Group’s doubling of capacity on our EUTELSAT 16A satellite reflects the core value of our infrastructure for extending penetration of digital services into homes in Central and Eastern Europe. It also further anchors our EUTELSAT 16A satellite in the dynamic CEE TV market. We look forward to taking the next steps with our partner, Telekom Austria Group, into new growth markets.”

Where to meet us at IBC:
Eutelsat stand: Hall 1.D59

About Telekom Austria Group
Telekom Austria Group, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since November 2000, is the leading communications provider in Central and Eastern Europe with roughly 23 million customers across its markets of operations. The Group is currently operating in eight countries: Austria (A1), Bulgaria (Mobiltel), Belarus (velcom), Croatia (Vipnet), Slovenia (Si.mobil), the Republic of Serbia (Vip mobile) and the Republic of Macedonia (Vip operator), and Liechtenstein (Telekom Liechtenstein). The total market of the eight countries covers approximately 41 million inhabitants. The Group has roughly 16,000 employees as of July 17, 2015. Group revenues were roughly EUR 4 billion as of year-end 2014. Telekom Austria Group’s portfolio encompasses products and services of voice telephony, broadband Internet, multimedia services, data and IT solutions, wholesale as well as payment solutions.

Press ContactLivia Dandrea-Böhm, Spokesperson A1
Mobile: + 43664 66 31452, email: livia.dandrea-boehm@a1telekom.at

About Antik Group
ANTIK Telecom offers FTTx triple-play services in Slovak republic, being 4th largest fixed operator covering 150k+ households around the country. Telecom product portfolio is strongly supported by its own hi-tech development arm. ANTIK Technology is a company dedicated to a development, production and distribution of hardware devices and software for telecommunication industry, with its development base in Slovakia (European Union) and production facilities in PRC. The company is a producer of End-to-End IPTV solution including professional receivers, encoders/transcoders, IPTV middleware, monitoring, TV set-top boxes, HLS streaming servers, etc. These devices are used by dozens operators, content and hospitality providers in Europe, Americas, Africa and Asia.

Press ContactPeter Blaas, Business Development Director ANTIK Telecom
Tel: +421 905 600 76, email: pr@antik.sk

About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 38 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.

Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.

Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit 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

Amsterdam, Paris, 11 September 2015 – Consumers in key European TV markets are ready to embrace Ultra HD as a thrilling TV experience and to invest in equipment and content.

The pulse of Ultra HD was presented today by Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) at a press briefing at IBC in Amsterdam. It included key findings of new qualitative consumer research conducted for Eutelsat by market research firm TNS, and fresh data from GfK on Ultra HD screen sales.

“Eutelsat has researched consumer awareness and appetite for the Ultra HD experience in order to support our broadcast clients as they evaluate business models and timing for rolling-out Ultra HD content,” said Markus Fritz, Eutelsat Director of Commercial Development and Marketing. “The stage is set for Ultra HD to be TV’s next big success story and Eutelsat, as a leader in satellite delivery, is ready to accompany clients in this new rendez-vous with viewers.”

“Super contrast: resolution is just crazy”

The consumer qualitative study was carried out in two waves in Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Poland Russia and Turkey: the first wave in November 2014 and the second in June 2015. The objective, in a series of focus groups, was to expose pay-TV subscribers and free-to-air viewers to an unprompted Ultra HD experience and gather insight on their response.

The results show common trends across all markets. Panellists identified sharpness, immersion and vivid colour as outstanding benefits and indicated a willingness to pay up to €10 a month to benefit from Ultra HD in the home. Their investment threshold for new TV sets also matched current price points of between €1,000 and €3,000 for screens within the 50” range. While Pay-TV subscribers showed a strong preference for linear Ultra HD channels, viewers used to free TV expressed a preference to gain their first experience through VOD and occasional, event-specific offerings.

2020: more than 70% of all screens sold in Europe will be Ultra HD

Eutelsat also presented new forecasts from GfK on Ultra HD screen sales over the coming six months and coming five years. GfK predicts a striking 200% hike in Ultra HD screen sales from June to December 2015. It expects sales to hit the five million mark by the end of the year (3.6 million in Western Europe, 700,000 in Eastern Europe and 600,000 in the Middle East), representing 9.3% of all TV sales in 21 key markets in these regions. Accumulated sales will result in a potential installed base of 6.2 million TV homes.
GfK also forecasts that Ultra HD screens in 2020 will represent more than 70% of total sales across Europe and almost 60% in the Middle East and North Africa. The annual volume of screens sold in these markets is expected by then to have reached 37 million.

Where to meet us at IBC:
Eutelsat stand: Hall 1.D59

About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 38 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.

Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.

For more about Eutelsat please visit 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

Amsterdam, Paris, 11 September 2015 – Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced it is joining the SAT>IP Alliance as a Founding Member to support the development and worldwide adoption of the SAT>IP technology.
The SAT>IP Alliance includes leading satellite operators and manufacturers – SES, Eutelsat, Hispasat, Panasonic, NAGRA, ALi Corporation and MaxLinear – and aims to accelerate the adoption of SAT>IP in the satellite industry and push this technology to the consumer market. It promotes the use of the SAT>IP communications protocol, supports integration of CAS-to-DRM technology for distributing pay-TV services over in-home IP networks, and facilitates product certifications.

The SAT>IP standard, published as European standard CENELEC EN 50585 in 2014, converts satellite signals into Internet Protocol (IP), using a small server connected to the home IP router. This enables high-quality satellite programmes to be received on any IP capable device at home: smartphones, tablets, laptops. Supported by over 40 hardware and software companies, SAT>IP counts today around 75 different compliant products.

Commenting on joining the SAT>IP Alliance, Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial and Development Officer, said: “Joining the SAT>IP Alliance is a concrete step towards facilitating reception of satellite services on any screen, one of the main goals of the Future Video Initiative announced today at IBC by Eutelsat and SES. Eutelsat’s overall objective is to contribute to all the initiatives driving forward the role of satellite in media distribution in order to help our clients increase their engagement with their audience.”

For more information on SAT>IP, please go to http://www.satip.info/.
Where to meet Eutelsat at IBC:
Hall 1.D59

About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 38 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies. Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.

About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 38 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.

Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit 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

Luxembourg, Amsterdam, 11 September 2015 – SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL), the two leading satellite companies in the global video distribution market, today announce a new, industry-wide initiative to develop and promote next-generation video technologies, standards and formats, focusing initially on the reception of satellite services on any screen and on converged broadcast-broadband technologies.

Called the Future Video Initiative, this new project will assemble representative companies in the converged video value chain to ensure that users everywhere will be able to benefit from a consistent, high quality, state-of-the-art video experience anywhere, anytime and on any device.

The Initiative was unveiled at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), one of the largest broadcast technology conventions, held annually in Amsterdam.

Experience and feedback on services currently delivering content anywhere, anytime, on any device highlight the challenges of ensuring in parallel high user satisfaction and the largest technical reach. Users want consistent media quality across multiple devices; content distributors have to cope with an ever-increasing growth of media traffic on their networks and therefore want to optimise their investments through maximum audience reach at the most competitive distribution cost.

The Future Video Initiative will seek to support existing initiatives, alliances, associations, roadmaps and technical standardisation bodies. Its initial scope of work will focus on promoting integrated hybrid broadcast-broadband solutions that increase the reach of HD and Ultra HD with the highest quality, while optimising network costs and meeting the promise of interactive services. It will also facilitate the reception of satellite services on any screen, at home and in public places.

“Through this initiative, we want to send a clear signal to the industry and public that we need to drive digitalisation and the evolution of our broadcast-broadband ecosystems,” said Karim Michel Sabbagh and Michel de Rosen, CEOs of SES and Eutelsat Communications, respectively. “The Future Video Initiative is open to all stakeholders and is a catalyst for digital development. The start of this initiative is underpinned by the commitment of two leading satellite operators to bring the best of their infrastructures to support the innovations, roadmaps, standardisations and frameworks necessary to respond to the future needs of consumers and deliver on time on the inclusive promise of a top-quality media experience for the broadest range of users.”

Additional information on the Future Video Initiative and how to join will be shortly available.

Where to meet SES at IBC:
Hall 1, stand 1.B51

About SES

SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) is the world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of more than 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide. SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the satellite industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements. SES holds a participation in O3b Networks, a next generation satellite network combining the reach of satellite with the speed of fibre. For more: www.ses.com.

For further information:
Markus Payer
Corporate Communications
Tel. +352 710 725 500
Markus.Payer@ses.com
Mark Roberts
Investor Relations
Tel. +352 710 725 490
Mark.Roberts@ses.com

About Eutelsat Communications

Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 37 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies. Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit 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

Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, today announced that it has won the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ (NATAS) 67th Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award for its contribution toward the development of closed-loop statistical multiplexing of geographically distributed encoders. By allowing high-quality, manageable aggregation of geographically diverse signals to be coordinated into a single statistical multiplex, Harmonic’s DiviTrackIP technology dramatically increases bandwidth efficiency, flexibility, and cost savings for video content and service providers while enabling them to maintain high video quality. Since being developed by Harmonic in 2005, DiviTrackIP has been deployed by Pay TV operators and broadcasters globally.

Read more at EFY Times

At IBC 2015 in Amsterdam this week, Cisco will demonstrate how it is helping service providers, media and entertainment companies and broadcasters worldwide increase revenue, lower costs and speed time to market with cutting-edge video entertainment experiences delivered from an open, highly secure IP and cloud-powered system.

Read more at EFY Times

Mainland Chinese entertainment portal LeTV is confident it can keep its footing in Hong Kong’s pay-television market, its chief executive said, amid reports the station would pay US$400 million for the exclusive rights to broadcast English Premier League games in the city.

Mok Chui-tin, the station’s chief executive for Asia-Pacific, said Hong Kong’s market had much potential as its size was among the top two in the region.

Read more at SCMP

SINGAPORE AND TOKYO (September 10, 2015) Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks and Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV) today announced that their joint-venture Asian general entertainment channel GEM will roll out across Asia on October 1, 2015. Launch platforms include nowTV in Hong Kong; TrueVisions in Thailand; MyRepublic, Matrix TV, Nexmedia, Skynindo, and Transvision in Indonesia; and Phnom Penh Municipal Cable TV (PPCTV) in Cambodia.

GEM features first-run and exclusive dramas, comedies and variety entertainment shows from Japan as well as other Asian territories including South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Hui Keng Ang, senior vice president and general manager, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia said: “As its name suggests, GEM is poised to be a glittering jewel within the genre, meeting the growing viewer demand for premium Asian content. Our partnership with leading content producer Nippon TV will ensure a steady pipeline of compelling primetime content featuring the hottest Japanese stars.”

Yukiko Kimishima, divisional president of International Business Development at Nippon Television Network Corporation, said: “Nippon TV already has a proven track record in our country as the first and most watched commercial broadcaster, so we are extremely delighted at the opportunity to launch GEM in partnership with SPT Networks to deliver Nippon TV’s captivating fresh lineup of dramas and variety entertainment shows along with the finest programs from the rest of Asia.”

Spanning action, period, comedy, family and romance genres, GEM is anchored by a wide range of Asian drama with captivating stories and multi-dimensional characters to keep audiences returning for more. Headlining the October launch of GEM is the hit psychological thriller Death Note. The series features Japanese stars Masataka Kubota, Kento Yamazaki and Mio Yuki, and follows the adventures ofcollege student Light Yagami who finds a notebook known as the Death Note, which contains the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it.

Other popular titles include Angel Heart, starring award-winning actor Takaya Kamikawa, which will be available on GEM within a week of the Japan telecast. The primetime lineup also includes top-ratedoffice drama series Hanasaki Mai Speaks Out S2, and Chinese romance series Lady & Liar, starring Hong Kong heart throb Harwick Lau and Chinese idol Tiffany Tang.

The channel will also boast variety programs that spotlight the latest entertainment buzz around popular celebrities in the region.

GEM adds to SPT Networks’ considerable presence in the region, where it is the leader in Asian general entertainment. The portfolio includes ONE, the No. 1 South Korean entertainment destination across Southeast Asia, which has delivered more than 50 percent growth over the past four years in key markets like Singapore and Malaysia; as well as Japanese anime channel Animax, which is especially popular among youth and young adults. Both channels are available as over-the-top platforms and actively engage fans throughout the region with large-scale events featuring high profile talent from key shows. GEM Vietnam, which is also part of the Asian channels portfolio, will continue to be wholly-owned and operated by SPT Networks.

SPT Networks is also a leading pay TV broadcaster in the English general entertainment space with top-rated AXN and Sony Channel; and operates joint-venture channels Baby TV and Vision 2 in Indonesia with Dori Media Group.