Paris, 8 September 2011
TRACE, the fast-growing media brand specialised in music and sports celebrities content, is strengthening its relationship with Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) via a five-year contract for capacity and uplinking services on the EUROBIRD 9A satellite. The new deal gives TRACE an exceptional footprint to broadcast across Europe and the Middle East its three high definition thematic networks, TRACE Urban HD, TRACE Tropical HD and the recently-launched TRACE Sports HD. As part of the agreement with Eutelsat, its Skylogic affiliate is uplinking the three channels from its teleport in Turin (Italy).
Satellite delivery of the three channels via EUROBIRD 9A will enable TRACE to reach multiple European and Middle East cable, DSL, mobile and DTH platforms, including Eutelsat's KabelKiosk digital cable platform which last month enriched its HD portfolio of channels with TRACEs HD content.
"Eutelsat has been an exceptional satellite partner since the launch of the first TRACE channel in 2003. By October this year, TRACE will have a total of nine channel feeds broadcasting via Eutelsat satellites to a vast audience across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Over 90% of our channel content is already in native HD and this new agreement will help us to significantly enhance viewer experience. Before HD, our viewers were just watching music videos. With HD, they are now IN the videos. We have the same great visual feeling with TRACE Sports HD, our new Sports Celebrities channel that delivers a total immersion in the lives of champions, says Olivier Laouchez, Founder, Chairman & CEO of TRACE.
Andrew Wallace, Eutelsat Chief Commercial Officer, added: Eutelsat has been a pioneering HD satellite solutions provider since HD went mainstream, and today our satellites broadcast over 220 HD channels. We are delighted to deepen our longstanding partnership with TRACE through a new contract to broadcast their growing stable of HD content. This agreement further demonstrates our commitment to supporting creativity and innovation in our core satellite television business.
