PanAmSat Solidifies HD Dominance With National Geographic HD Win
Monday April 10, 11:38 am ET
America's Number-One HD Neighborhood Boasts Top Names in Movie, Sports
and Entertainment
ATLANTA, April 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PanAmSat (NYSE: PA - News)
announced today that National Geographic HD has chosen to join
PanAmSat's coveted and industry-leading high-definition (HD)
neighborhood. PanAmSat's Galaxy HD neighborhood reaches over 9,000 cable
systems throughout the U.S. and features many of America's top HD
offerings, including: HBO HD, Cinemax HD, National Geographic HD, HDNet,
HDNet Movies, Encore HD, ESPN HD, Fox Sports Net HD, NBA HD, NFL Network
HD, The Outdoor Channel, Showtime HD West, STARZ! HD, TNT HD, WB HD and
Wealth TV.
"National Geographic's high-quality, award-winning programming lends
itself perfectly to high-definition television delivery. By joining the
A-list roster of customers on Galaxy 13, National Geographic HD will
enjoy the industry's best coast-to-coast coverage that this powerful
spacecraft offers," said Mike Antonovich, PanAmSat EVP, Global Sales and
Marketing. "And, bar none, the Galaxy HD neighborhood delivers what
television networks want -- to pass every potential HDTV cable home in
the nation's top ADIs."
National Geographic HD is distributed by Fox Entertainment Group. Fox
had signed a long-term, multi-year, multi-satellite, multi-transponder
deal with the Company, consolidating its entire suite of U.S.
programming onto PanAmSat's global fleet as well as a significant
portion of its international traffic. The contract was later expanded to
include two additional transponders on Galaxy 13, the new home for
National Geographic HD.
High-definition television has made large strides in the U.S. and is
predicted to make even larger inroads in the next four years. According
to industry analyst reports, by 2009, HDTV will be in 52 million
households, up from the current four million households. Northern Sky
Research estimates that 500 channels will be broadcast in HD by 2010.
And, the Consumer Electronics Association reports that seven in 10
consumers are planning to purchase a digital cable-ready HDTV as their
next television. Ultimately, the continued price reductions in the HDTV
arena, coupled with the looming analog cut-off, will result in 55
percent of U.S. households having at least one HD-capable TV by the end
of 2010 explain analysts from Leichtman Research Group's in a recent
report entitled, "HDTV: Awareness, Interest and Intent to Purchase 2005."
Since the beginning of the high-definition revolution in the United
States, PanAmSat has been the industry's innovator. Providing service to
over 20 HD channels, Galaxy HD reaches 100 percent of all digital cable
subscribers in the United States. PanAmSat's Galaxy 13 satellite, which
was placed into service in January 2004, is the home of the industry's
first, largest and most powerful high-definition neighborhood. In
addition, it is the premier HD address for some of the biggest names in
cable television. Located at 127 degrees west longitude in the U.S.
cable arc, Galaxy 13 is also part of PanAmSat's "Power of Five" antenna
program, which provides qualified cable operators with simultaneous
access to five Galaxy neighborhood satellites.
About National Geographic Television & Film
Building on its global reputation for remarkable visuals and compelling
stories, National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F) augments its
award- winning documentary productions (124 Emmy Awards and more than
800 other industry awards) with feature films, giant-screen films, kids'
programming and long-form television drama programming. Worldwide,
National Geographic's television programming can be seen on the National
Geographic Channel, home video and DVD, and through international
broadcast syndication.
About PanAmSat
Through its owned and operated fleet of 23 satellites, PanAmSat (NYSE:
PA - News) is a leading global provider of video, broadcasting and
network distribution and delivery services. It transmits nearly 2,000
television channels worldwide and, as such, is the leading carrier of
standard and high-definition signals. In total, the Company's in-orbit
fleet is capable of reaching over 98 percent of the world's population
through cable television systems, broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home
operators, Internet service providers and telecommunications companies.
In addition, PanAmSat supports the largest concentration of
satellite-based business networks in the U.S., as well as specialized
communications services in remote areas throughout the world. For more
information, visit the Company's Web site at www.panamsat.com.
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