MUMBAI: Panamsat has announced a multi-year, multi-satellite, multi-transponder agreement with the Fox Entertainment Group. Under the terms of the agreement, Fox will consolidate its entire suite of US programming onto Panamsats global fleet for 15 years and move a significant portion of its international traffic onto the fleet for the next decade.
Fox will now be one of Panamsats largest media customers and one of its top five global customers.
Panamsat's CEO Joe Wright was quoted in a company release saying, "This agreement with Panamsat will provide Fox with unparalleled global coverage. By consolidating its distribution on our fleet, Fox is utilising our satellites in every region of the world to broadcast its programming. Expansion of our core video market is also key to our growth strategy. This contract strengthens our cable and broadcast neighborhoods worldwide. By providing flexibility, redundancy, connectivity and service, Panamsat continues to attract the worlds top programmers to our global network."
Shows that Panamsat will be responsible for distributing include 24 which airs in India on AXN. Internationally, Panamsat will carry Foxs news, sports and entertainment channels. Panamsat will support Fox by using 17 transponders located across seven satellites on its global fleet. Specifically, the domestic agreement calls for a 15-year cable contract for 10 transponders and a 15-year broadcast agreement for four transponders. Internationally, Fox has signed a 10-year agreement for three transponders. In addition, Panamsat has become the provider of choice for Foxs domestic and international satellite requirements. .
Foxs cable group currently has six channels on Galaxy 11 at 91 degrees west longitude and will migrate four additional channels to the satellite in the second and third quarter of 2004. The 10-channel programming bouquet includes its regional sports networks, news, movies and general entertainment programming, and will anchor and solidify the cable neighborhood at this prime orbital slot.
Later this year Fox's international channels will consolidate their programming on the PAS-2 and PAS-8 Pacific Ocean Region satellites and the PAS-3R and PAS-9 Atlantic Ocean Region satellites.
Fox Group engineering president Andrew G. Setos added, "Panamsat has successfully offered us a comprehensive solution for our cable, broadcast and international programme distribution. By concentrating our traffic on one constellation the efficiency of scale enabled Panamsat to deliver a superior restoration plan that is essential to safeguarding our current operations and its future growth."
