SES Increases Reach in Benelux countries

Luxembourg, May 27, 2013--SES announced today that it has further increased its household reach in the Benelux countries in 2012 to over 1.2 million homes. With a 19 percent increase compared to the previous year, Belgium topped the Benelux growth in ASTRA satellite homes. In Luxemburg, the number of household receiving programmes directly from the SES fleet increased by 16 percent. These – and other new details – are the result of the annual market research SES Satellite Monitor.

The study also showed that 980,000 satellite homes in the Benelux are now capable of receiving transmissions via the 23.5 degrees East orbital position, an increase of 12 percent in 2012. In the Netherlands, 93 percent of all satellite homes are now tuned into the 23.5 degrees East orbital position, only six years after its introduction as new Direct-To-Home spot for this market.

In total, SES now reaches 97 percent of all satellite homes in the Benelux. In addition, all major cable and IPTV providers in the Benelux are using the SES satellite fleet for the redistribution of one or more channels. As a result, the total SES reach in the Benelux amounts to 11.8 million households, 94 percent of all Benelux TV homes.

HD is an important element driving the continued growth of SES’ satellite reach in the Benelux countries, as witnessed by a wide range of Dutch and Belgian HD channels via Canal Digitaal, TV Vlaanderen and TéléSAT, the M7 Group-owned satellite TV platforms for the Netherlands and Belgium. The orbital position 23.5 degrees East is also used for the transmission of the Luxembourg TV channels like RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg and Chamber TV.

SES Satellite Monitor also confirms the increasing popularity of satellite reception among people travelling in the Benelux and beyond. More than half a million Dutch and Belgium households receive television and radio channels via the SES satellite fleet on vacation, thereby benefiting from its Europe-wide footprint coverage. The recreational satellite users can now also opt for internet via satellite provided by SES Broadband Services and its Benelux partner Hertzinger.

SES Satellite Monitor for the Benelux," said Bill Wijdeveld, Managing Director of SES’ Benelux affiliate. "This further enhances our role in this important region, in close partnership with our customer, the M7 Group. The growth also confirms that in a market dominated by land-based infrastructures, satellite has an important role to play, in particular when it comes to innovation. We are convinced that satellite will remain the leading infrastructure for delivering the widest range of HD channels to the largest possible audience."