Eutelsat passes 4,000 channels milestone

Satellite operator Eutelsat now broadcasts over 4,000 channels via its satellites.

Eutelsat passed the milestone at the end of last year following the launch of Arabic film channel Rotana Cinema at the satellite operator’s 7° West position. Eutelsat said that satellites serving the Middle East, Africa, Russia and central Europe had seen particularly strong growth, boosted by 2011 launches of Atlantic Bird 7 to 7° West, W3C to 16° East and W7 to 36° East.

Eutelsat ceased analogue broadcasts at the end of 2011. Some 7% of channels on the platform are now HD services. Pay TV services account for 60% of channels on Eutelsat.