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Sports Broadcasting Technology

SES Satellite Enables ESPN Brazil to Distribute HD Content in Latin America

June 27, 2011

(SPORTS TECHNOLOGY)

ESPN Brazil, in conjunction with SES (News - Alert) WORLD SKIES’ NSS-806 satellite, is all set to expand its presence across Latin America by providing one HD and one SD sports channels to the region's cable television transmission stations.


In a press release, Dolores Martos, vice president of sales in Latin America and the Caribbean for SES WORLD SKIES, said, “ESPN (News - Alert) Brazil’s expanding presence and strategic consolidation aboard NSS-806 reinforces the important role our video neighborhood is playing throughout Latin America.”

Announcing the new capacity deal, the satellite company stated that ESPN Brazil was utilizing 18 MHz C-band capacity on its NSS-806 satellite, which was scheduled to be replaced by the SES-6 satellite at the core orbital location at 319.5° East in 2013.

Victor Hannoun, operations and engineering director, ESPN Brazil, spoke about the strategic agreement and said it represented a long-term commitment aimed at consolidating ESPN Brazil’s programming distribution platform with the best satellite operator and spacecraft in the industry.

The significant capacity expansion caused by the Ku-band payload of the new satellite is expected to offer extended coverage not only to Latin America but to North America and the Caribbean as well.

Martos commented on the existing and future expansion and said, “The great community and reach of NSS-806 and the upcoming advanced SES-6 satellite enables ESPN Brazil to seamlessly distribute their key HD content throughout Brazil, Latin America, U.S. and Europe.”

ESPN Brazil’s programming is not expected to face any challenges during the changeover to the SES-6 satellite.

The SES division that operates a fleet of 28 satellites wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES.

TMCnet reported that satellite company SES entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with ictQATAR, the telecoms regulatory authority in Qatar. SES and ictQATAR intend to explore cooperation opportunities for the provision of joint satellite platforms, networks and services in the Middle East and beyond.

Mini Swamy is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.