Multi-event, value-added package guarantees coverage of the Olympics, U.S. and European elections, and the UEFA Euro 2004 and Champions League competitions
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, September 11, 2002 – New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite communications company, today announced that it will provide the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) with full-time satellite capacity and special events transmission services to guarantee coverage of some of the world’s most prominent events taking place over the next 18 months.
Specifically, the EBU has chosen New Skies’ global network for the delivery of live video footage from the Athens Olympics, the UEFA Euro 2004 competitions, and the U.S. presidential elections. The deal ensures that the EBU’s 119 member and associate member broadcasters, as well as the wider broadcasters' community using EBU's network services, will have access to the coverage their viewers demand.
Paolo Pusterla, head of strategy and business development, said: “Highly anticipated news and sporting events such as the Olympics and presidential elections create significant demand for premium transmission capacity, services and specific connectivities. New Skies’ special events team has developed a unique, end-to-end solution that incorporates NSS-7’s comprehensive coverage, excellent U.S. and European connectivities, terrestrial links and value-added teleport services.
“With a rare flexibility and customer-first approach, New Skies has enabled us to move forward with the confidence of having in place well in advance the resources to fulfill the exacting needs of our member broadcasters and their diverse audiences.”
The multi-event package for the EBU complements an existing full-time, valued-added video contribution service between the United States and Europe, making New Skies’ transmission network the primary trans-Atlantic carrier of the EBU’s breaking news and special events coverage.
Samantha McCloskey, New Skies’ vice president of customer relations, said: “The EBU is one of the preeminent organizations within the world’s broadcasting community and it is our privilege to serve the needs of so many broadcasters across Europe through our valued relationship. By accommodating their requirements in the most flexible and responsive manner, we have demonstrated our commitment to meeting their dynamic global requirements and rigorous standards of technical excellence.”
The EBU has co-located digital transmission equipment in New Skies’ state-of-the-art Washington D.C. mediaport, which features a high-speed fiber link to a major video hub, connecting all local access providers in the area. The EBU routes its digital video traffic through this connection to New Skies’ mediaport for uplink and broadcast to points across Europe and the Middle East over NSS-7. For the U.S. events, New Skies will supplement this existing service with additional fiber links between the EBU’s Washington bureau and New Skies’ mediaport for seamless connectivity to the EBU users’ earth stations throughout Europe.
About NSS-7
NSS-7 was launched in 2002. The satellite features 49 C-band and 48 Ku-band 36 MHz-equivalent transponders and 11 high-powered coverage beams capable of broadcasting video, Internet and data traffic throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With a blue-chip full-time customer lineup and occasional-use transmissions of breaking world news as well as prominent sporting events, NSS-7 broadcasts to thousands of antennas across its vast footprint.
About the EBU
Founded in February 1950, the European Broadcasting Union is the largest professional association of national broadcasters in the world with 71 members in 51 countries of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and 49 associate members in 29 countries further afield. Activities include operation of the Eurovision and Euroradio networks, coordination of news and sports programming, promotion of technical standardization, legal advice and the defense of public service broadcasting.
About New Skies Satellites
New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK) is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage, offering video, voice, data and Internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations, Internet service providers and government organizations around the world. New Skies has five satellites in orbit, ground facilities around the world and one additional spacecraft under construction. The company also has secured certain rights to make use of additional orbital positions for future growth. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, New Delhi, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available at www.newskies.com.
