SES Largest Provider of HD Channels with 14% Growth in Europe in 2016

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SES S.A. (Euronext Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) continues to lead High Definition TV (HDTV) development representing the largest HD and Ultra HD (UHD) platform.

In 2016, the number of HD channels on the SES fleet grew by 7% to 2,495 channels. Today, 33% of all the 7,538 channels on the SES fleet are in HD, with SES carrying 27% of all HD channels globally. In addition, over 60% of all channels on SES’s fleet are now broadcast in the MPEG-4 compression standard.

The on-going trend of the increasing HDTV penetration in Europe was the key driver of SES’s overall HDTV development, where the number of HDTV channels grew by 14% to more than 750 channels. This performance was complemented by the growth in HDTV across the Americas.

SES is also continuing to maintain its strong momentum in the introduction of commercial agreements now secured for 21 UHD channels, compared with eight channels a year ago. Today, SES is broadcasting nearly 50% of all the UHD channels carried over satellite globally.

In 2016, the acquisition of RR Media and the subsequent creation of MX1 through a merger with SES Platform Services supported SES’s unrivalled market traction on new HDTV and UHD channels across Europe and North America, as well as the further expansion of SES’s Video business across fast-growing emerging markets.

The launch of SES-9 and the continued development of SES’s HD and Ultra HD business were also significant factors supporting growth in Asian markets, where the company is applying its differentiated strategy. The launch of SES-10 and SES-15 later this year will deliver further growth potential for the Americas.

“With more TV channels than ever before, this confirms SES’s leading role as a TV broadcasting infrastructure and driver of global digitisation” said Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer of SES. “Through the growth of its channels portfolio and through major acquisitions in 2016, SES is exceptionally well placed to leverage major growth opportunities, especially in new and emerging markets. Our current launch programme is a dynamic engine for this future growth. With more and more channels being broadcast in HD and Ultra HD, 2017 and beyond will see continued growth and accelerated development for SES’s video segment."

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About SES

SES is the world-leading satellite operator and the first to deliver a differentiated and scalable GEO-MEO offering worldwide, with more than 50 satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and 12 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). SES focuses on value-added, end-to-end solutions in four key market verticals (Video, Enterprise, Mobility and Government). It provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions, and businesses worldwide. SES’s portfolio includes the ASTRA satellite system, which has the largest Direct-to-Home (DTH) television reach in Europe, and O3b Networks, a global managed data communications service provider. Another SES subsidiary, MX1, is a leading media service provider and offers a full suite of innovative digital video and media services. Further information available at: www.ses.com

Contacts

SES
Markus Payer
Corporate Communications
Tel. +352 710 725 500
Markus.Payer@ses.com

SES Continues to Lead HDTV Development (Photo: Business Wire)