Canal+ chooses Eutelsat for Africa DTT
September 10, 2015
Eutelsat Communications has announced the signature of a multi-year contract with Canal+ Overseas, the Canal+ subsidiary in charge of broadcasting internationally and in French overseas territories. The contract is part of Africa’s ongoing move to a fully digital broadcasting environment which is one of the key technology transformations underway across the continent. Canal+ Overseas has leased a 72MHz transponder on the Eutelsat 3B satellite that will be used to deliver a new offer of channels assembled by Canal+. The channels will be transmitted to DTT transmitters in approximately ten French-speaking countries.
The Canal+ pay-TV service due to launch by the end of the year will comprise a basic package of 25 channels and a selection of national channels per country.The C-band capacity leased from Eutelsat will deliver the content to terrestrial transmitters across the French-speaking African countries targeted by Canal+ in an area stretching from Guinea to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Bruno Cattan, Technology & Web Director of Canal+ Overseas, said: “Digital switchover is a unique opportunity for Africa and its broadcasting landscape. It opens the door to new channels with improved image quality and more locally produced programmes that better meet viewer expectations. We wanted to seize this opportunity and will use Eutelsat’s powerful African satellite resources to launch a television service that will enable a large number of households on the continent to enjoy the best that television can offer.”