Eutelsat books 2,000 hours for Tour de France
July 10, 2017
By Chris Forrester
Eutelsat says its Sales & Reservations Centre has booked almost 2,000 hours of coverage including ‘Occasional Use’ demands on three of its satellites, Eutelsat 10A, 16A and 12 West B to cover this year’s Tour de France cycle race. This is twice the demand from previous years.
“For the first time ever there will be full broadcasting of all 21 stages, covering more than 3500km, with 105 hours of live coverage produced. Eutelsat’s satellites will accompany the exceptional means put in place by the media throughout the event, enabling the 3.5 billion people who watch the Tour de France annually to follow the most popular sports event in the world after the Olympic Games and the World Cup,” says Christelle Preioni, who heads up the Eutelsat unit.
The demands on Eutelsat and its partners are equally tough. “Two thousand journalists, representing 600 different media outlets, are working on the Tour de France, including 100 TV channels broadcasting to 190 countries, 300 newspapers and press agencies, 90 photo agencies and 70 radio station,” says Preioni.
She also stresses the high transmission standards required by its broadcast clients. “Quality is extremely important, particularly for sport and cultural events. The end-experience for the viewer depends on the quality of the signal, whether it’s on a smartphone or a cinema screen. Satellite provides a consistent experience for all audiences across the coverage. There are no second chances when broadcasting the final sprint up the Champs Elysées on July 23rd – the experience has to be perfect for everyone, wherever they are.”