SES Astra Wins Central European Media Enterprises As Anchor Customer For Its 31.5 Degrees East Orbital Position In Romania And Bulgaria

15 December 2010

SES ASTRA, has won CME as anchor customer for its 31.5 degrees East orbital position.

CME is a leading vertically integrated media and entertainment company operating broadcasting, internet and TV content businesses in six Central and Eastern European countries with an aggregate population of approximately 50 million people. CME’s television programmes in Romania and Bulgaria include PRO TV, PRO TV International, Acasa, PRO Cinema, Sport.ro and MTV Romania and bTV, bTV Cinema, bTV Comedy, Pro.bg and Ring.bg in Bulgaria.

CME has contracted one transponder on 31.5 degrees East on a long-term basis. It will use the capacity for video distribution to cable head-ends in Romania and Bulgaria, starting in January 2011. SES ASTRA will thereby gain access to millions of cable households in two of the biggest growth markets in Central and Eastern Europe.

31.5 degrees East is SES ASTRA’s new orbital position for Central Europe and the Middle East. It complements SES ASTRA’s very successful hotspot at the 23.5 degrees East orbital position and allows for further growth in the region.

Norbert Hölzle, Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA, said: “With CME, we have won a premium customer for our 31.5 degrees East orbital position. The agreement will help us to significantly increase our reach in Romania and Bulgaria and shows that we have succeeded in establishing 31.5 degrees East as a new orbital hotspot for the region. We look forward to further strengthening our position and to contracting additional customers soon.”

Claudiu Paraschiv, Head of TV Technology at CME, commented: “We are very pleased to further intensify our relationship with SES ASTRA. We have chosen SES ASTRA’s 31.5 degrees East orbital position because it provides excellent coverage and technical reliability for our target markets.”