Paris – MCS TV (part of Altice Group) and Newslux have selected the Eutelsat 70B satellite operated by Eutelsat Communications to support the expansion into Southeast Asia of two flagship channels, i24News and MCS International. Both channels can now benefit from the exceptional features of the Eutelsat 70B satellite that gives direct access from Europe to the economically booming Southeast Asian market. They have joined a digital platform uplinked from Italy and are broadcast across Southeast Asia to operators of cable and ADSL networks as well as homes equipped for direct reception.
Launched in 2013, i24News is an international 24-hour news and current affairs channel based in Tel Aviv and now available free-to-air via Eutelsat 70B in French and English-language versions. MCS International is an international sports channel already available in more than 50 countries, with a strong focus on football, handball, volleyball, fighting sports, tennis and extreme sports.
Nicolas Rotkoff, CEO of MCS TV, said: “We are delighted to accelerate the reach of MCS International into South-Asian markets with Eutelsat. What we appreciate with the Eutelsat 70B proposal is the ability from Europe to enter a new region with a high-power satellite delivering attractive coverage for a wider market penetration of our sports channel.”
Frank Melloul, CEO of i24News said: “We are pleased to reinforce our presence in Southeast Asia with Eutelsat. In less than a year, i24News is now covering over one billion homes by satellite and is referenced among leading TV operators in more than 75 million homes across the world.”
Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Chief Commercial & Development Officer, added: “With MCS TV and Newslux’s choice of Eutelsat 70B further compelling TV content is converging on this satellite’s Southeast Asia service area to take advantage of its reach of Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and also Australia. We are delighted to support efforts by broadcasters to quickly and efficiently build an international footprint and to see our 70° East platform gain traction as it builds an audience across Southeast Asia.”
