3 Plus expands distribution with Astra

Satellite operator SE has announced that its Astra unit has begun broadcasting the Swiss private channel 3 Plus from its orbital position 19.2° East.

3 Plus is the first broadcaster based in Switzerland to use SES’s satellite capacities. The transmission will expand the reach of the channel by around 400,000 households.

The reception of the encrypted channel requires a satellite receiver and the SRR Sat Access Card from the Swiss Broadcasting Organisation SRG. The SES subsidiary SES Platform Services near Munich provides the uplink and the encryption of the channel. 3 Plus is one of the leading Swiss broadcasters and reaches an average of 1.7 million viewers, which is about one third of the German-speaking Swiss population.

“The decision of 3 Plus to partner with ASTRA for its satellite transmission is an important milestone in the development of the Swiss market,” said Wolfgang Elsässer, managing director of Astra Germany and also responsible for Austria and Switzerland. “3 Plus is a very popular channel and in addition to the Swiss channels of ProSiebenSat1 Media and RTL Group, satellite TV in Switzerland via Astra is now even more attractive.”