[SatNews] SES ASTRA, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), announced today that it has signed an agreement with Netherlands-based Dance TV HD for the delivery of its program to HD bouquets throughout Europe. Under the terms of the agreement, SES ASTRA will provide capacity on its 23.5 degrees East orbital position and deliver uplink services from its playout center in Munich, Germany.

The agreement with SES ASTRA will allow Dance TV HD to deliver its program to various HD bouquets throughout Europe. It will thereby benefit from the enlarged footprint of SES ASTRA’s newly launched satellite, ASTRA 3B, that offers coverage from Spain to the Black Sea.

Dance TV HD is a full HD lifestyle channel focusing on the international dance scene. The programming includes international party reports, DJ concerts, festivals and events. The channel has started broadcasting a trailer program yesterday with the full program scheduled to go live later this summer.

Norbert Hölzle, Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA, said: ”We are delighted that Dance TV HD has chosen ASTRA for the delivery of its signal and welcome this new customer on board. Dance TV HD provides a unique program format and is thereby a very attractive extension of our already large HDTV line-up. The agreement with Dance TV HD further strengthens our 23.5 degrees East orbital position as the fastest growing hot-spot for Direct-To-Home and Direct-to-Cable distribution throughout Europe.”

Jeffrey de Veer, CEO of Dance TV HD, states: “We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with SES ASTRA which will allow us to grow and extend our program to all markets in Europe. The high quality of service, the excellent coverage and the dedicated marketing support were crucial for our decision to sign with SES ASTRA. We look forward to a successful cooperation and to the launch of our program in many European markets.”