Satellites provide all kinds of information, from defense to weather to photo mapping, and now Intelsat, Ltd., a provider of commercial satellite services, announced that Major League Baseball International (MLBI) signed a contract for international distribution to its rights holders in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Intelsat will provide local viewing access to games and highlights of the upcoming season in standard and high definition. Feeds of the League’s games will be transmitted into Asia, Europe and Latin America using five Intelsat satellites that will transport the programming to its teleport facility in Ellenwood, Georgia, and uplink the games to the Intelsat satellites for transmission to the broadcast receive sites in Asia, Europe and Latin America. In addition to regular season games, this contract also calls for transmission of The American League Championship Series, the World Series and The World Baseball Classic in March 2009.

“Major League Baseball enjoys an avid fan base around the world, and we are continually seeking ways to increase the profile of the franchise. As we continue to increase our distribution, we chose Intelsat because it offered us a seamless, one-platform solution for our international broadcasting needs,” said Russell Gabay, Vice President and Executive Producer, International Broadcasting. “The Intelsat satellites provide coverage and access to video neighborhoods that help us expand distribution of our programs.” Intelsat will be exhibiting in Hall 1, Stand C71 at IBC 2008.