LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, today announced that Sun TV Network Ltd. (Sun TV) has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder contract for C-band capacity on the recently launched Intelsat 17 satellite (IS-17) at the 66º E orbital location. The agreement marks the second major programmer to join the line-up at Intelsat’s newly expanded video neighborhood in the Indian Ocean region.
Sun TV, India’s leading regional media group, will use the new satellite capacity to expand its programming distribution to viewers across India and beyond. Sun TV will migrate its current 20 channels to IS-17 and use additional bandwidth to support its expansion plans.
The IS-17 satellite was launched in November 2010 and entered service in January 2011. It provides C- and Ku-band capacity across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia from the 66º E orbital location, with an expected service life through 2026.
“The IS-17’s multi-continental coverage provides us with a reliable and resilient distribution platform from which to serve our existing market, and also provides access to all of our potential distribution partners across the region,” said Sivanesh Kannan, CTO of Sun TV. “The satellite is ideally suited to support the introduction of new high-definition programming and ensures service continuity for many years to come.”
Kannan added, “This new capacity, combined with Intelsat’s industry leading technical expertise and responsive customer service, will enable us to reach the widest possible audience with the highest quality signal.”
Kurt Riegelman, Intelsat’s SVP of Global Sales, said, “The addition of Sun TV further enhances IS-17 as the Indian Ocean region’s new programming neighborhood. We are grateful for the opportunity to support Sun TV’s regional content distribution requirements and HD expansion plans.”
About Sun TV Network Ltd.
Sun TV Network is one of the largest television broadcasters in India and the first in India to use digital broadcasting. It operates 20 satellite television channels across four languages in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam – with a reach of more than 95 million households in India. The Company also airs 43 FM radio stations across India. It is the leader in three out of four high-growth Southern Indian markets, with a strong presence in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The flagship channel Sun TV has built a market share of more than 75 percent in Tamil. Sun TV Network’s channels can be viewed in 27 countries, including the United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and throughout Europe and Australia. For more information, please visit www.suntv.in.
About Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. is the leading provider of fixed satellite services worldwide. For over 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world’s leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet Service Providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat’s satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and broadband access, with Intelsat, advanced communications anywhere in the world are closer, by far. For more information, please visit www.intelsat.com.
Intelsat Safe Harbor Statement: Some of the statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. The forward-looking statements made in this release, reflect Intelsat's intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about future events and are subject to risks, including known and unknown risks. Detailed information about some of the known risks is included in Intelsat's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended 31 December 2010 and Intelsat's other periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Because actual results could differ materially from Intelsat's intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements contained in this news release with caution. Intelsat does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.