M7 Group will deliver UEFA EURO 2020 matches in UHD via SES’s Astra 23.5 degrees East satellites

11 June 2021

M7 Group will deliver the UEFA EURO 2020 matches live in Ultra High Definition (UHD) to Dutch subscribers of Canal Digitaal from 11 June to 11 July, following an agreement with SES and Dutch Public Broadcaster NPO.

The EURO 2020 matches will be delivered live in native Ultra HD to M7 Group’s Canal Digitaal subscribers via a dedicated channel NPO1 4K, set up for the duration of the UEFA EURO 2020. NPO1 4K will be broadcast via SES’s ASTRA satellites at 23.5 degrees East.

The UHD broadcast of the UEFA EURO 2020 was initiated by Dutch public broadcaster NPO, which is keen to enable soccer fans to enjoy an enhanced viewing experience. As innovative front runners, NPO also see this UHD transmission as an opportunity to better understand the requirements to boost the uptake of this new TV technology in Dutch homes.

“We are very happy to join this great initiative of NPO and are pleased with the support provided by SES to enable high-quality UHD transmissions via Astra 23.5 degrees East. This partnership underscores the unrivalled capability of satellite as a carrier for UHD live broadcasting and we trust our Canal Digitaal subscribers will appreciate this chance to watch the EURO 2020 matches in a superb picture and sound quality,” said Christiaan Puper, Country Manager Benelux at M7 Group.

“Together with M7, we are proud to deliver an immersive viewing experience to the Dutch soccer fans in superior quality, while they follow each match and cheer on their favourite players. Sports events have always been great strikers for new technologies, and the UHD broadcast of the UEFA EURO 2020 is a perfect opportunity to showcase the power of satellite,” said Deepak Mathur, EVP of Global Sales, Video at SES.

To enjoy all the UEFA EURO 2020 matches in UHD, Canal Digitaal subscribers need to insert a Viaccess or Nagravision enabled module and smartcard in their UHD TV set. A separate UHD receiver is not required as UHD TV sets come with a built-in satellite tuner. NPO1 4K is available via channel 36 in the Canal Digitaal channel list.