Startimes employs SES to distribute signal in SSA

SES Platform Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES S.A. has announced that StarTimes, the fastest-growing digital TV operator in Africa, will distribute TV channels for their direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers across Sub-Saharan Africa via its broadcast facility in Germany. 

Under the new multi-year agreement, SES Platform Services will be providing signal turnaround, video processing, and uplinking services for StarTimes’ SD and HD channels. StarTimes has more than five million DTT and DTH subscribers across 16 countries in Africa and currently provides English-language TV content to viewers across the region via the SES-5 satellite located at 5 degrees East. 

“We want TV audiences in Africa to perceive StarTimes as a reliable DTH platform operator broadcasting engaging content at competitive rates to its subscribers.  We are confident that SES and SES Platform Services have the space and ground infrastructure and the expertise to help us grow our TV business by delivering a wider range of attractive offerings across the continent,” said StarTimes Group Chairman and President Pang Xinxing. 

StarTimes has been a major market player in Nigeria and has extended its partnership with SES on the SES-5 satellite to provide an enhanced TV viewing experience for its subscribers in Nigeria by providing better picture quality content and more TV channels on its DTH package.
“The new contract reiterates StarTimes’ utmost confidence in SES’s and SES Platform Services’ capabilities to provide both space and ground segment services to grow their business in Sub-Saharan Africa. We are proud to be a valued partner of StarTimes, supporting their growth ambitions in new African markets,” said Wilfried Urner, Chief Executive Officer of SES Platform Services.

Meanwhile, StarTimes Nigeria said that it had succeeded in breaking the monopoly in the pay TV market and pledged that it will sustain the drive until every home in the country have access to digital TV services.
   
Besides, five lucky winners have emerged as star price winners at the StarTimes first draw in the ongoing Win a Trip to Germany Promo. The winners are to travel to Germany free of charge to watch the Bundesliga marches at the expense of Startimes.
   
Public Relation and Communications Manager, StarTimes Nigeria, Israel Bolaji, who stated this at the Win a Trip to Germany Promo held in Abuja, noted that the desire of the company is to ensure that its services are provided for Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation .