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September 13, 2011
TMCnet Contributor
To offer live high-definition television programming by direct broadcast satellite across Europe and Middle East, TRACE, the media brand specialized in music and sports celebrity content, has signed a contract with Eutelsat (News - Alert) Communications to increase its capacity and uplinking services on the EUROBIRD 9A satellite.
According to a press release, this new relationship will offer 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 and under agreement with Eutelsat, its Skylogic affiliate is uplinking the three channels from its teleport in Turin (Italy).
Olivier Laouchez, Founder, Chairman and CEO of TRACE, said, “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 percent 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.”
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."
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 TRACE's HD content.
In other press release, TMCnet reported that Eutelsat Communications has appointed Edouard Silverio as group general counsel and company secretary.
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Mandira Srivastava is a TMCnet contributor. She works as a full-time writer, ghostwriter and blogger, and has more than two years of experience in print and Web media. She has also worked on company brochures, website content and product descriptions, as well as proofreading and editing content. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Rich Steeves