Bulgaria will see the launch of a new DTH platform on February 1. Operated by a company named Satellite BG AD, it will employ three transponders at the 23.5 degrees East position and mark SES Astra’s entry into the increasingly attractive Bulgarian TV marketplace.
Satellite BG AD will initially offer viewers a package of over 60 SD and 12 HD channels, including all the main public and commercial services in Bulgaria.
Broadband TV News has been informed by SES Astra that the existing Bulgarian DTH platform Total TV, formerly known as ITV Partner, will be merged into the new service operated by Satellite BG AD.
Total TV was taken over by Mid Europa Partners (MEP) in 2009 and more recently by the local entrepreneurs Ljubomir Pavlov and Rumen Artarski, who are also behind the TV station TV 7.
Aside from Total TV, Bulgaria currently also has two other DTH platforms – Bulsatcom and Vivacom TV.
SES Astra uses the 23.5 degrees East position to provide services to Central and Eastern Europe and the Benelux countries.
Its clients in the former include the highly successful Czech/Slovak pre-pay DTH platforms Skylink and CS Link.
