NAB, LAS VEGAS, April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To respond to increasing HD demand from its clients, GlobeCast today announced that it has concluded a five-year contract with Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) for a third transponder on the EUROBIRD(TM) 9A satellite, which will carry a full HD DVB-S2 platform.

The first clients on the platform already include Eurosport and Fashion One. Eutelsat's EUROBIRD(TM) 9A satellite was chosen for its potential to reach over five million Direct-to-Home and cable homes. The satellite's proximity to Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) video neighborhood at 13degrees East adds the opportunity for broadcasters to reach homes equipped for dual-feed reception from both positions.

As a neighbourhood of choice for flagship broadcasters, Eutelsat's EUROBIRD(TM) 9A satellite offers clients of GlobeCast's new platform prime access to cable networks and ISPs. Channels currently in SD looking to launch an HD DVB-S2 offer, or existing HD channels looking for new options, will also benefit from this new choice. GlobeCast's service to broadcasters can include content management, playout and origination and encoding, among other features. Uplink to EUROBIRD(TM) 9A is possible from Paris: a central point that enjoys connectivity to over 30 PoPs via GlobeCast's five-continent fiber network.

Broadcasting over 250 channels, including 35 already in HD, EUROBIRD(TM) 9A and its proximity to the 1,100 channels at Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) neighborhood offer clients of this new platform an ideal environment that brings together the best international and regional channels in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

About GlobeCast

A subsidiary of France Telecom/Orange, GlobeCast is a leading provider of media management and global content delivery services for broadcasters and content creators. With a secure fiber and satellite network connected to dozens of teleports, technical operations centers and points-of-presence worldwide, GlobeCast manages and transports millions of hours of video and other rich media each year. An integrator of audiovisual technology and a full service provider, GlobeCast works with all the actors in the audiovisual chain from production companies to broadcasters, retail organizations, cinema chains and more. The company provides on-site service from major news and sporting events for coverage in SD, HD or even 3D. Present in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia, GlobeCast is also an expert in international television markets, and works with new and established broadcasters to reach and secure distribution with leading pay TV operators around the world.

http://www.globecast.com

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 27 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 31 December 2010, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,700 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates access to high speed Internet services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 683 commercial, technical and operational employees from 28 countries.

http://www.eutelsat.com

SOURCE GlobeCast and Eutelsat Communications