SES ASTRA and ARENA sign capacity agreement

[BGonaSTICK]

Owner of live-TV rights for German Bundesliga to use SES ASTRA satellite capacity

SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), and Arena, owner of live-TV rights for the German first soccer league (Bundesliga), have announced today that they have signed a satellite capacity agreement. The long term contract secures Arena the capacity of a full digital transponder on an ASTRA satellite at the prime orbital position 19.2° East. With its seven satellites at this position, SES ASTRA can reach more than 16 million German households which receive their TV programmes directly via satellite. More than 6 million of them are using a digital reception mode. The parties are not disclosing the financial details of the agreement.

“With Arena, we have gained an important and prominent new customer”, said Ferdinand Kayser, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SES ASTRA. “We are pleased that ASTRA households will be able to benefit from the Bundesliga package that Arena will offer. We are looking forward to a long-standing and successful relationship with our new customer.”

“This is an important step in establishing our satellite solution. ASTRA’s reach means that Arena will be available via satellite across Germany. We are continuing to work with technology providers to assemble the remaining elements of a satellite platform”, said Arena and Unity Media CEO Parm Sandhu.

Arena is to present further details at a press conference in Munich on 27 March 2006.