Eutelsat Communications has revised its financial targets after a 10.9% growth in its nine-month revenues.
Growing HD services and increased satellite capacity helped nine-month revenues reach €776.3 million, while third quarter revenues touched €268.3 million after a 13.4% rise. Executives have redrawn the 2009/10 revenue target from €1,020 million to €1,035 million.
“With a strategy focused on expanding satellite resources for regions with the strongest potential for expansion, Eutelsat has achieved double-digit sales growth across its entire portfolio of services for the third quarter of its financial year,” commented CEO Michel de Rosen. “This remarkable performance is a result of the sustained increase in demand in the regions covered by our fleet, and the increase in satellite capacity we have achieved with our new satellites as well as rapid redeployment of existing in-orbit resources.”
The redeployment of Atlantic Bird 4A to support broadcasting in Africa and the Middle East has given a strong commercial momentum to Nilesat and Noorsat at 7 degrees West. New contracts are in place in Russia and sub-Saharan Africa following the entry into service of the W7 satellite at 36 degrees East after its launch in November 2009. New capacity at 9 degrees East has also been taken by operators that include Arqiva (United Kingdom), Telefonica (Spain) and the broadcaster Channel One (Russia).
The total number of HD channels across the Eutelsat fleet has risen from 71 to 120 over the last 12 months.
