United Group has announced plans to consolidate all of its Direct To Home (DTH) services in Southeastern Europe onto two satellites at two orbital slots.
The agreement with Eutelsat extends United Group’s DTH services to an audience of 40 million people through Telemach, NOVA, Bulsatcom, VIVACOM, SBB and Total TV in 8 countries (Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia).
“This transition is crucial to maximise our audience reach across our market footprint, deliver an unrivalled content line-up and continue to develop our next generation services. We are delighted to partner with Eutelsat, who offers us the best and most compliant technical solution to meet our needs,” said Zeljko Batisti?, VP Technology, United Group.
The transition to Eutelsat’s 16° East and Hotbird neighbourhoods is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
“As well as reinforcing our long-standing collaboration with one of our key customers in the region, this agreement showcases the ongoing relevance of satellite in addressing the evolving needs of our broadcast clients and confirms Eutelsat as the premier operator covering the region, reaching 7 out of 10 satellite homes,” said Laurence Delpy, President of the Video Business Unit of Eutelsat Group
There will be some changes ahead for United Group customers and losses for Eutelsat rivals Intelsat and Hellasat. But overall such agreements make sense for all parties, even if there is some minor inconvenience for audiences.
