Russia’s NTV-Plus Expands Resource on Eutelsat's W4 Satellite

PARIS, March 22, 2006/Satnews Daily/ ¾ Russia's leading direct-to-home pay-TV platform, NTV-Plus, is boosting its capacity on Eutelsat Communications’ (Euronext Paris: ETL) W4 satellite from six to eight transponders.

Eutelsat said the new agreement for high-power capacity on W4 satellite has been concluded between NTV Plus and the RSCC (Russian Satellite Communications Company), Russia's national satellite communications operator and a longstanding partner with Eutelsat in the Russian market.

The new capacity will be used by NTV-Plus to expand its pay-TV platform that was launched in 1997 and today serves 450,000 subscriber homes, mainly located in Russia, through Eutelsat's W4 satellite. Since the beginning of March three new television channels (NTV-Plus Tennis, NTV-Plus Sport Classic, Nash Football) have already joined the existing offer of 60 digital channels, NTV Plus said. Up to 20 further channels are planned for launch in the coming months.

NTV-Plus director general Dmitry Samokhin said with the new capacity, the company is now equipped to extend and diversify the range of channels we offer subscribers. “The coverage provided by Eutelsat's W4 satellite will also support our expansion in CIS countries which are experiencing rapid development of digital services and present great potential for growth for our digital platform,” he said.

Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO, said the development of its key video neighborhood for eastern Europe at 36 degrees East sits at the heart of the company’s strategic objectives for Eutelsat's continued growth.

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