Rai and Eutelsat Team up to Expand HD Broadcasting in Italy

Rai and Eutelsat Team up to Expand HD Broadcasting in Italy

PARIS and ROME, November 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --



Rai and Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) have sealed an agreement
enabling Italy's public service broadcaster to deliver its new portfolio of HD channels
across Italy via the TivuSat satellite platform that already reaches into 1.7 million
television homes.



Rai will broadcast its three flagship channels in HD - Rai 1, Rai 2, Rai 3 - via
TivuSat that transmits through Eutelsat's HOT BIRD satellites, Italy's leading video
neighbourhood. This latest agreement between Rai and Eutelsat marks a new phase of
collaboration in satellite broadcasting that has stretched over almost 30 years, spanning
analogue, digital and now HD. For Rai, it confirms its commitment to enhancing the
technical quality of its programming and strengthening the role of the public service in
Italy's digital landscape.



Italian satellite TV homes will automatically receive Rai's new HD channels on a
free-to-air basis through HD compatible set-top boxes receiving TivuSat. Launched in 2009,
TivuSat is a free-to-view digital satellite platform that offers a wide range of Italian
and international channels.



Renato Farina, CEO of Eutelsat Italia, declared: "This new step underscores Eutelsat's
longstanding commitment to playing our part in the digitisation of broadcasting in Italy
and to constantly enhancing the viewing experience. The launch of this initial test phase
of Rai's new HD content at our HOT BIRD neighbourhood ensures immediate 100% coverage of
Italian territory and underscores the increasing penetration of HD content across our
broadcasting satellites."



About Eutelsat Communications



With capacity commercialised on 31 satellites delivering reach of Europe, the Middle
East, Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat
Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's
leading satellite operators. As of 30 September 2013, Eutelsat's satellites were
broadcasting more than 4,700 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite
homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group's satellites also provide a wide
range of services for TV contribution, corporate networks and fixed and mobile broadband
markets. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ over 780 commercial,
technical and operational professionals from 30 countries. http://www.eutelsat.com




Eutelsat Communications

CONTACT: Press, Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91, voconnor@eutelsat.fr. Frédérique Gautier, Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91, fgautier@eutelsat.fr. Marie-Sophie Ecuer, Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91, mecuer@eutelsat.fr. Investors and analysts, Leonard Wapler, Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30, investors@eutelsat-communications.com. Cédric Pugni, Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30, investors@eutelsat-communications.com


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