Trace has signed a five-year contract for capacity and uplinking services on the Eurobird 9A satellite, giving the broadcaster a footprint to broadcast its three HD thematic networks across Europe and the Middle East.
Trace has three HD channels, 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 Trace’s 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,” said Olivier Laouchez, founder, chairman & CEO of Trace.
Andrew Wallace, Eutelsat COO, 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.”
