NTV+ contracts additional capacity on 36E

[Analoguesat]

NTV-PLUS, RUSSIA’S LEADING PAY-TV PLATFORM, EXPANDS RESOURCE ON
EUTELSAT’S W4 SATELLITE THROUGH NEW CONTRACT WITH RSCC
Paris, 21 March 2006
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) announces that NTV-Plus, Russia’s leading
direct-to-home pay-TV platform, is boosting its capacity on Eutelsat’s W4 satellite from six to
eight transponders. The new agreement for high-power capacity on Eutelsat’s W4 satellite has
been concluded between NTV Plus and the RSCC (Russian Satellite Communications
Company), Russia’s national satellite communications operator and a longstanding partner with
Eutelsat in the Russian market.
The new capacity will be used by NTV-Plus to expand its pay-TV platform which was launched
in 1997 and today serves 450,000 subscriber homes, mainly located in Russia, through
Eutelsat’s W4 satellite. Since the beginning of March three new television channels (NTV-Plus
Tennis, NTV-Plus Sport Classic, Nash Football) have already joined the existing offer of 60
digital channels. Up to 20 further channels are planned for launch in the coming months.
“Since its launch on Eutelsat, NTV-Plus has built up its position as a key player in eastern
Europe’s vibrant broadcasting landscape,” said NTV-Plus Director General Dmitry Samokhin.
“Through this new capacity we are now equipped to extend and diversify the range of channels
we offer subscribers. The superior coverage provided by Eutelsat’s W4 satellite will also support
our expansion in CIS countries which are experiencing rapid development of digital services and
present great potential for growth for our digital platform.”
For Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO, “The development of our key video neighbourhood for
eastern Europe at 36 degrees East sits at the heart of our strategic objectives for Eutelsat’s
continued growth. NTV-Plus was the first broadcaster to deliver pay-TV to Russia from 36
degrees East and the first client to join our W4 satellite when it was launched in 2000. Today,
the success and the expansion of NTV-Plus consolidate our position in a region in which we
have built a longstanding presence and which we firmly believe will continue to expand as the
demand for broadcast and broadband services rapidly take hold.“
About NTV Plus
NTV-Plus is an independent Russian satellite broadcaster covering all of European Russia. NTV-Plus
went on air on September 1, 1996, when its first fully-owned analogue channel, Nashe Kino (Our Cinema)
started broadcasting. By December 1997 four channels were broadcasting: Nashe Kino, Mir Kino
(Cinema World), NTV-Plus Sport and Detsky Mir (Children’s World). On February 1, 1999, the company
started digital broadcasts of all its channels. Today, the NTV–Plus platform serves 450,000 homes,
equivalent to more than 1.5 million viewers, and employs over 900 people.
NTV-Plus offers its subscribers best Russian and foreign channels alike, as well as its own channels.
Today, subscribers of NTV-Plus can receive more than 60 stereo sound channels (with DOLBY DIGITAL
5.1 since 2005) that are transmitted directly from satellite. They include five news channels, 13 movie
channels, 10 sports channels, five learning channels, music and children’s channels. Broadcasts are
dubbed in Russian, English, Italian, Spanish, French and Chinese.
NTV-Plus is particularly proud of its own sports channels – NTV-Plus Sport, NTV-Plus Football, NTV-Plus
Tennis, NTV-Plus Sport Classics and Sport Online. The company owns a number of exclusive broadcast
rights to show sports events including NHL and NBA matches, Grand Slam tennis, the Federation Cup,
the Davis Cup and the Cup of Russia figure-skating tournament as well as professional boxing. NTV-Plus
offers five of its own film channels including the highly acclaimed NTV-Plus Premiera and NTV-Plus
Kinoklub (Cinema Club). Each year the fully-owned channels of NTV-Plus show 365 brand new
productions and a selection of around 1000 films from the world cinema collection.