Poland's Cyfrowy Polsat Pay-TV Platform Increases Capacity on Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) 9 Satellite

Poland's Cyfrowy Polsat Pay-TV Platform Increases Capacity on Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) 9 Satellite

PARIS, March 4/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and Cyfrowy Polsat, the leading pay-TV satellite platform in Poland, today announce the signature of a new contract for an additional transponder on Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) 9 satellite to support the continued expansion of digital entertainment services, including new HDTV channels for Polish satellite television homes.

With this new long-term lease Cyfrowy Polsat is now using a total of four transponders at Eutelsat's HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood, reaching a subscriber base of more than 2.7 million homes in Poland, up by 32 per cent from January to December 2008. Available exclusively from the HOT BIRD(TM) position, the Cyfrowy Polsat platform broadcasts more than 70 digital channels, including five HDTV channels: Polsat Sport HD, Eurosport HD, HBO HD, Discovery HD and MTVNHD.

As the contract was signed, Giuliano Berretta, Chairman and CEO of Eutelsat Communications said: "Ten years on since its launch on our HOT BIRD(TM) satellites, Cyfrowy Polsat is firmly anchored as a major player in Europe's digital broadcasting landscape. Eutelsat is particularly proud to be associated with Cyfrowy Polsat's remarkable success story and to further cement our collaboration with this new contract which underscores the leading role in Poland and across Europe of the premium HOT BIRD(TM) neighbourhood".

"We appreciate especially the long-term, productive cooperation with such a reliable business partner as Eutelsat Communications. Having such a large base of subscribers it is very important to make use of only trusted suppliers, and deciding once again for Eutelsat I had no doubts that it was an appropriate choice," said Dominik Libicki, President and CEO of Cyfrowy Polsat.

About Cyfrowy Polsat

Cyfrowy Polsat is the largest, per subscriber number, paid DTH satellite platform in Poland. As at the end of December 2008 Cyfrowy Polsat had a total of 2.73m subscribers, i.e. about 32% more than in the corresponding period of 2007. Cyfrowy Polsat enables its subscribers to view 72 Polish language channels, including film, sports, music, entertainment, news, education, and children's channels. In order to meet expectations of subscribers it broadcasts High Definition channels. Viewers currently have access to five HD channels - Polsat Sport HD, HBO HD, Eurosport HD, MTVNHD and Discovery HD.

Cyfrowy Polsat was the first satellite digital TV provider to offer a hard disc set top box with pausing and recording capabilities. In November 2007, it launched its own production of set top boxes, launching a modern digital set top box of exceptionally small size - the Mini. Utilizing a strong brand and large subscriber base, on 8 September 2008, the platform began providing telecommunication services as a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator).

Since 6 May 2008, the company has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Polaris Finance is the largest shareholder in Cyfrowy Polsat holding 60.73% of shares. The Company has significantly improved its financial results. In 2008, the consolidated revenues were PLN 1.134 m, or 42% more compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The EBITDA (operating profit increased by depreciation) increased by 110% to PLN 348m in that period, and the net profit totaled PLN 269m, about 137% more than in the previous year.

More information available at: http://www.cyfrowypolsat.pl

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 26 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 2008, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,200 television channels and 1,100 radio stations. Almost 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East 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 its teleport in Italy that serves enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 591 commercial, technical and operational experts from 27 countries.

http://www.eutelsat.com

          For further information     Press contacts     Vanessa O'Connor     Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88     voconnor@eutelsat.fr                             Frederique Gautier     Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88     fgautier@eutelsat.fr                             Investor relations     Gilles Janvier     Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30     investors@eutelsat-communications.com  

Source: Eutelsat Communications

For further information, Press contacts, Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, voconnor@eutelsat.fr; Frederique Gautier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, fgautier@eutelsat.fr; Investor relations, Gilles Janvier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30, investors@eutelsat-communications.com

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Profile: International Entertainment