Advanced Television

Bank: “BUY Eutelsat, SELL SES”

A pair of detailed reports to clients from investment bank Berenberg makes for good reading for Eutelsat but delivered negative advice as to the state of prospects for arch-rival SES. As for Eutelsat, Berenberg’s analyst Robert Berg says that the satellite operator’s shares are “still cheap”. The bank’s note says: “We reiterate our ‘Buy’ rating […]

November 27, 2020

Telesat merger, then IPO

More details have now emerged on the merger between Ottawa-based Telesat and satellite builder (and shareholder in Telesat) Loral Space & Communications. Key to the long-expected merger solution is the role of Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP).  Under the merger agreement PSP, Loral and Telesat Canada will each become subsidiaries of ‘new’ Telesat […]

November 26, 2020

Panel: “Satellite good for 20 more years, at least”

A recent Eutelsat-organised Webinar heard comments from Rotana’s COO Michael Cairns. Asked in simple terms how Rotana saw its immediate challenges, he said that they had launched two new channels during the Covid crises (for Kids and Comedy) and the broadcaster had also supplied many of its programmes to OTT platforms (such as Shahid, OSN […]

November 24, 2020

China wants to compete with SpaceX

Asia Times is reporting that China wants to dramatically boost the number of satellites in orbit while China Newsweek talks about a new enterprise, China Star Net, which will be formed and based in Shanghai. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), a state-owned enterprise, outlined its plans to preliminarily finish the construction of the […]

November 23, 2020

Eutelsat delivers Viasat “coup-de-grâce”

The news that Eutelsat is completely ending its already strained relationship with Viasat prompted one analyst to update clients on the position. Viasat will now own 100 per cent the Euro Broadband Infrastructure (EBI). Giles Thorne (media analyst at Jefferies) was blunt: “The curtain comes down on Viasat’s disastrous first steps into European broadband. Eutelsat […]

November 20, 2020

FCC delivers bad Thanksgiving news to Ergen

The FCC used Thanksgiving Eve to tell Charlie Ergen that his Dish Network had improperly received $3.3 billion in 5G licence fee discounts back in 2015. The 25 per cent fee discounts were tapped by Dish Network because Ergen’s team had claimed – successfully at the time – that it was a “designated entity” as […]

November 19, 2020

EchoStar praised, forecast raised

The bulk of EchoStar’s business these days is focussed on its wholly-owned subsidiary Hughes Network Systems which itself is a major supplier of satellite-based broadband to consumer and business users. Last week EchoStar – itself controlled by Charlie Ergen – reported better than expected results on revenues and EBITDA.  The results have prompted a significant […]

November 17, 2020

Starlink working on lowering terminal costs

Would-be subscribers outside North America will have to wait some tome for access to SpaceX’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite system. Starlink VP Jonathan Hofeller, speaking at last week’s Euroconsult World Satellite Business Week virtual edition, told attendees that as far as North America was concerned Starlink would stay as a ‘direct to consumer’ business. Starlink is already […]

November 16, 2020

Eutelsat enjoying “resilient” new contracts

Eutelsat’s CEO Rodolphe Belmer, speaking at a Euroconsult World Satellite Business Week virtual panel, told delegates that recent agreements and renewal contracts struck with Canal+, Sky Italia and MultiChoice were all struck on good terms. “The broadcast segment for our company is extremely resilient,” he explained. “We are able to stabilise revenues. It will stay […]

November 13, 2020

Bank: “Mediaset better than expected”

Italian broadcaster Mediaset’s delivered better-than-expected Q3 results with its Italian revenue beating the market’s consensus by some 3 per cent. No Full Year 2o20 guidance was provided, but the trend appears to be supportive. Its core financials for Q3 saw group revenue rise by 2 per cent year on year to €556 million. Breaking down […]

November 12, 2020