Multichoice to expand service with Eutelsat

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Pay-TV platform MultiChoice Africa, has agreed a deal with satellite operator Eutelsat for capacity to enable the service to expand its DStv pay-TV offering in sub-Saharan Africa.

Using seven transponders on Eutelsat’s W4 craft, MultiChoice Africa has built a subscriber base of over 170,000 homes which can receive over 50 television and 30 radio programmes catering for English, Portuguese, Indian and French-speaking communities.

In order to support the continued expansion of DStv, Eutelsat has reconfigured its SESAT 1 satellite, which is co-positioned with W4, so that subscribers can receive additional services through the same antenna. MultiChoice Africa has taken a lease of two transponders on SESAT 1 in order to offer up to 36 television channels in French and Portuguese targeting, in particular, Angola, Mozambique and French-speaking countries in Central Africa.

Olivier Milliès-Lacroix, Eutelsat’s Commercial Director said that by reconfiguring SESAT 1, Eutelsat was demonstrating its high levels of in-orbit flexibility and its commitment to meeting individual customer needs.

Ian Tennant, CEO of MultiChoice Africa, confirmed that the pay-TV platform was also planning to include a number of commercial free-to-air channels from East and West Africa on the DStv services to strengthen the local feel of the DStv bouquet in these regions