United Group, a leading telecommunications and media company in Southeastern Europe, has announced plans to consolidate all of its Direct To Home (DTH) services onto two satellites at two orbital slots. This move will see United Group’s DTH services, operating under the brands Telemach, NOVA, Bulsatcom, VIVACOM, SBB and Total TV, reach a potential audience of 40 million people in 8 countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.
The agreement with Eutelsat will see United Group transition its services to the 16° East and Hotbird neighbourhoods. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
“This transition is crucial to maximise our audience reach across our market footprint, deliver an unrivalled content line-up and continue to develop our next generation services,” said Zeljko Batisti?, VP Technology, United Group. “We are delighted to partner with Eutelsat, who offers us the best and most compliant technical solution to meet our needs.”
Laurence Delpy, President of the Video Business Unit of Eutelsat Group, commented: “As well as reinforcing our long-standing collaboration with one of our key customers in the region, this agreement showcases the ongoing relevance of satellite in addressing the evolving needs of our broadcast clients and confirms Eutelsat as the premier operator covering the region, reaching 7 out of 10 satellite homes.”
The move is expected to bring some changes for United Group customers, and losses for Eutelsat rivals Intelsat and Hellasat. However, the overall agreement is seen as beneficial for all parties involved, despite some minor inconveniences for audiences.