Eutelsat HOT BIRD(TM) Video Neighbourhood Consolidates Audience Into 121 Million Homes and Breaks Barrier of 1,000 Channels

Eutelsat HOT BIRD(TM) Video Neighbourhood Consolidates Audience Into 121 Million Homes and Breaks Barrier of 1,000 Channels

Eutelsat 2007 Survey of Satellite and Cable Homes

Cable and Satellite Homes Pass Tipping Point of 50 Per Cent of TV Homes Across Europe, North Africa, Middle East, 88 Million of Which are Satellite Homes

PARIS, January 19/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced
headline results of its two-year survey of satellite and cable homes. Set up
in 1994, the survey measures trends in satellite and cable reception in
countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East served by Eutelsat's
key video neighbourhoods including its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood which
this month broke the barrier of 1,000 digital channels.

Commissioned from leading research institutes including GfK,
TNS Sofres and Ipsos, the new data produced in 42 countries* revealed that
satellite and cable homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East have
expanded twice as fast over the last 24 months as the growth of television
homes. Satellite and cable penetration increased by 13 per cent to 170
million homes from 150 million, while television homes expanded by six per
cent to 333 million homes from 314 million. Satellite and cable reception has
consequently passed the tipping point of 50 per cent of television homes.

The survey also confirmed the leadership of Eutelsat's HOT
BIRD(TM) neighbourhood whose audience end 2006 had progressed from 111
million to 121 million homes, of which 40 per cent (47.5 million) are
equipped for Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite reception. This growth took place
in parallel to a steady increase in channels broadcast which grew by 273
channels over the same period to over 1050 at end December 2006.

The most dynamic satellite markets for Direct-to-Home
reception were Italy, which expanded by 280,000 satellite homes, and Poland
which expanded by 211,000.

In eastern Europe, as new cable infrastructure goes into
place, the uptake of cable reception from the HOT BIRD(TM) neighbourhood was
particularly dynamic, accounting for 22.5 million homes which represents an
increase of more than 30 per cent.

The new research also recorded strong uptake of satellite and
cable homes receiving channels from six other video neighbourhoods which
Eutelsat has actively developed for specific regions and language markets:
EUROBIRD(TM) 1 (UK, Ireland), W2 (central Europe), W3A (Turkey), W4 (Russia,
Ukraine), ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 3 (satellite homes in France) and ATLANTIC
BIRD(TM) 4 which is colocated with Nilesat and serves satellite homes in
North Africa and the Middle East.

With the combined audience of these neighbourhoods and the HOT
BIRD(TM) neighbourhood, channels broadcast by Eutelsat's video satellites are
received by 161 million satellite and cable homes, representing 94 per cent
penetration of satellite and cable homes in Europe, North Africa and the
Middle East. This does not include emerging Digital Terrestrial Television
(DTT) audiences in markets where satellites are feeding DTT retransmitters
and providing complementary Direct-to-Home coverage.

Commenting on the results, Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat's CEO
said: "These results demonstrate the strong momentum of satellite and cable
broadcasting in a dynamic multi-channel environment which is expected to
penetrate over 60 per cent of television homes in western Europe in the 2010
timeframe**. In parallel to sustained audience growth, our key video
neighbourhoods have attracted 400 new television channels over the last 12
months, including the first 17 channels broadcasting in HDTV."

** Screen Digest 2006

* Western Europe

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland,
Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United
Kingdom

Central and eastern Europe

Belarus , BiH , Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Rep., Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

North Africa, Middle East

Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria,
Tunisia, Turkey

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is
the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 23
satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well
as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the
Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in
terms of revenues. At 31 December 2006 Eutelsat's satellites were
broadcasting over 2,400 television channels to over 160 million homes, of
which more than 1,000 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video
neighbourhood which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in
Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a
wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution
markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service
Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's
broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through
teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities,
government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the
Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 490
commercial, technical and operational experts from 27 countries.

www.eutelsat.com

Eutelsat Press Contact
Vanessa O'Connor
Tel.: +33(0)1-53-98-38-88
voconnor@eutelsat.fr

Frederique Gautier
Tel. : +33(0)1-53-98-38-88
fgautier@eutelsat.fr

Eutelsat Investor relations
Gilles Janvier
Tel.: +33(0)1-53-98-35-35
investors@eutelsat-communications.com

A graph showing the number of satellite and cable homes at the HOT
BIRD(TM) neighbourhood can be seen on the following website: www.eutelsat.com

Source: Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Press Contact, Vanessa O'Connor, Tel.: +33(0)1-53-98-38-88, voconnor@eutelsat.fr; Frederique Gautier, Tel.: +33(0)1-53-98-38-88, fgautier@eutelsat.fr; Eutelsat Investor relations, Gilles Janvier, Tel.: +33(0)1-53-98-35-35, investors@eutelsat-communications.com

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