HISPASAT to distribute films and live events to 600 cinemas in Italy

September 12, 2016

The Spanish operator has signed a contract with Telespazio to distribute audiovisual content via the Hispasat 30W-5 satellite.

This multi-year agreement constitutes a milestone in the company’s strategy of business expansion in Europe.

Madrid, 12 September 2016. Spanish satellite communications operator HISPASAT has reached an agreement with Italian satellite services operator Telespazio to distribute audiovisual content via satellite to 600 cinemas throughout Italy. This multi-year agreement will allow this content to be transmitted on the Ku band via the Hispasat 30W-5 satellite and Telespazio’s Fucino teleport, near Rome.

This agreement is particularly relevant to HISPASAT for two reasons. First, it strengthens their position in the area of audiovisual content distribution to cinemas. In addition to a first initiative in Spain in 2013, there have been other similar ones, such as the agreement reached in Mexico for the distribution of films and live events, or the agreement signed with the Teatro Real in Madrid for the live transmission of the theatre’s operas at cultural centres and other institutions. Second, it constitutes yet another achievement in the strategy of expanding services in Europe that the operator has been developing over the last few years.

Up to now, film distribution to cinemas was done mainly through the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) file type, which was delivered on hard disks. This involves creating hundreds of copies of the master, which are then packaged and sent to the different cinemas where they are screened. The cinemas download the hard disk’s content onto the projector’s server and then return the disk to the distributor to be used again. All of this entails complicated logistics that are not risk free, such as delivery times that may vary up to several hours, or even days, depending on the locations of cinemas.

Thanks to agreements like the one signed between HISPASAT and Telespazio, this whole process can be substituted by a single, simultaneous transmission of the film via satellite to all of the cinemas. This way, distributors will be able to send their content to Telespazio, which, from the Fucino teleport – the first and foremost teleport in the world for civilian use – will deliver it to the 600 cinemas, where it will be stored and then shown on-screen.

This process reduces the amount of materials to practically zero, eliminating physical devices and drastically simplifying logistics and the time it takes to distribute films to cinemas, as well as increasing the security of the delivery, since there is no longer the risk of the materials being lost or broken. All a cinema needs to do is to install a small antenna in order to be able to receive a film in a very short amount of time.

Moreover, the independence of satellites with regard to geographical limitations, and their large bandwidth capacity, makes them the ideal means for transmitting large volumes of information, such as films or live events recorded in High or Ultra-High Definition.

About HISPASAT Group

HISPASAT Group is comprised of companies that have a presence in Spain as well as in Latin America, where its Brazilian affiliate HISPAMAR is based. The Group is a world leader in the distribution and broadcasting of Spanish and Portuguese content, and its satellite fleet is used by important direct-to-home television (DTH) and high-definition television (HDTV) digital platforms. HISPASAT also provides satellite broadband services and other added value solutions to governments, corporations and telecommunication operators in America, Europe and North Africa. HISPASAT is one of the world's largest companies in its sector in terms of revenue, and the main communications bridge between Europe and the Americas.

www.hispasat.com


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