Latest news with #Eutelsat
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
France Makes Power Play to Challenge Elon Musk's Starlink in $1.5B Satellite Shake-Up
Eutelsat Communications (EUTLF) is going big. The European satellite player is in talks to raise 1.5 billion in fresh fundingan injection that could push the French government's stake from 13.6% to 30%, according to people familiar with the matter. The potential raise isn't just about growthit's about geopolitics. Eutelsat has been quietly assembling a coalition of backers, including the UK government, shipping heavyweight CMA CGM, and French investment firm Fonds Strategique de Participations. The money could be used to expand its low-Earth orbit satellite network and stake a firmer claim as Europe's answer to Elon Musk's Starlink. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with EUTLF. Momentum has been building for months. Eutelsat shares are up around 45% this year, but investors hit the brakes after the fundraising talks surfacedshares fell as much as 7% on the news. One reason: this isn't a simple growth story. It's also about national security. Earlier tensions between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, followed by concerns Musk might restrict Starlink access in conflict zones, have jolted European policymakers. The response? Double down on homegrown infrastructure. Eutelsat could need over 2 billion just to participate in Iris2, the EU's critical satellite project, and its LEO satellites require replacements every five to seven years. That's a lot of capitaland a long game. Leadership is shifting, too. Jean-Francois Fallacher will take the CEO reins from Eva Berneke on June 1. Sources say the move is part of a broader push by the French government to increase strategic control. While no final deals have been signed, the ongoing talks signal that Paris wants a bigger seat at the tableand investors should take note. With government-backed space assets becoming increasingly critical, the Eutelsat story is evolving fastfrom niche telecom to national interest. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Eutelsat in Talks to Double France's Stake in €1.5 Billion Raise
Eutelsat Communications SA, the European satellite operator working to rival Elon Musk's Starlink, is in talks with investors to raise €1.5 billion in a deal that would more than double the French government's stake to 30%, people familiar with the matter said. Eutelsat has been in talks with the French government, investor Fonds Strategique de Participations, shipping company CMA CGM and the UK government about participating in the fundraising, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. The funds would help build out Eutelsat's low-Earth orbit satellite network, they said.
Broadcast Pro
23-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Eutelsat and BHS renew deal for satellite contribution services across MENA
This agreement expands the leased capacity on the Eutelsat 21B and Eutelsat 70B satellites, guaranteeing uninterrupted content delivery for BHSs broadcast clients. Eutelsat Group and BHS Media Group have renewed their satellite contribution contract, reinforcing their long-standing collaboration to deliver high-quality video services across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This agreement extends the capacity leased on the Eutelsat 21B and Eutelsat 70B satellites, ensuring seamless content delivery for BHS broadcast customers. Based in the UAE, BHS specialises in TV distribution and contribution services, offering a comprehensive range of broadcasting and telecommunication solutions, including video-on-demand (VOD), media management, playout, video uplink solutions and transmission. This renewal with Eutelsat underscores its commitment to providing robust and technically superior satellite solutions to clients in MENA. The 21° East and 70° East are major orbital positions for video and connectivity services. The powerful Ku-band capacity on the Eutelsat 21B and Eutelsat 70B satellites enables high-quality video signal contribution, ensuring service continuity for media customers across the region. Speaking about the contract, Jose Ignacio Gonzalez-Nunez, Regional Vice President, MENA & Americas of the Video Business Unit, said: 'With this agreement, we continue to ensure premium video contribution services for our customers. Leveraging Eutelsats advanced satellite infrastructure, we are delighted to be entrusted by our long-standing partner BHS to ensure high quality content delivery across the MENA region.' Hamid Rahmani, Chief Executive Officer of BHS added: 'We appreciate the continuing partnership with Eutelsat and are happy to deepen our pledge on providing best-in-class video contribution services in the MENA region. With Eutelsats advanced technology in satellite servicing, we are poised to better serve our customers dynamically while delivering premium quality standards. In the forthcoming years, we anticipate further strengthening this partnership.'
Broadcast Pro
18-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Eutelsat, Rotana and Vestel launch targeted advertising on satellite TV
The platform's multi-solution architecture allows broadcasters to either manage ad scheduling themselves or opt for a streamlined, automated process. Satellite operator Eutelsat has teamed up with Rotana Media Services and consumer electronics giant Vestel to introduce geographic-based targeted advertising for satellite television channels. The partnership, unveiled at CABSAT 2025, aims to transform Free-to-Air (FTA) broadcasting by enhancing monetisation through precise audience targeting. Building on the success of its servicewhich has already improved the way FTA viewers discover and engage with contentEutelsat is now reengineering delivery, playout and reporting mechanisms across mass-market satellite receivers. This new strategy is designed to accelerate the adoption of targeted advertising to 35m households in the MENA region within five years, from a total audience of 66m households currently served by the Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8°West orbital position. Re-engineering delivery, playout and reporting mechanisms of mass market satellite receivers, Eutelsat and partners are driving the rapid rollout of satellite-targeted advertising to tens of millions of satellite households within a five-year timeframe. A multi-solution architecture will give broadcasters complete control to schedule and trigger advertising, or a managed approach for those who prefer to minimise the technical and administrative details. Aymeric Genty, President of the Eutelsat Video Business Unit, commented: 'Targeted advertising multiplies the revenue potential of each ad minute. Most advertisers are interested in the specific market segments that they are targeting. This enables broadcasters to expand their number of advertisers. Its a win-win solution that generates more revenue through satellite television. The advertising opportunities on satellite are huge. There are 66 million households in MENA watching TV at the Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8°West video neighbourhood. Our goal is to activate targeted ads for 35m of them within five years.' Nezar Nagro, President of Rotana Media Services, added: 'RMS operates at the intersection of premium content, advanced ad technology, and deep regional market expertise. With established offices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, we are uniquely positioned to unlock advertiser demand within local markets, enabling brands to target audiences with precision and scale. 'As advertisers increasingly demand proof of performance, our focus is also on enabling reliable return channel data from connected devices to validate ad delivery and audience engagement. This data layer is critical to building trust and accountability in a satellite-based targeting ecosystem. Coupled with geographic ad insertion, it opens the door to scalable, market-specific monetisation on linear TV, a transformation that brings the efficiencies and precision of digital into the satellite environment. Were excited to partner with Eutelsat and Vestel to help realise this evolution.' At?nç Ö?üt, Deputy General Manager of Vestel Consumer Electronics Product Management, stated: 'As a leading TV manufacturer, we are committed to enhancing the user experience by providing smarter and more intuitive access to content. Our collaboration with Eutelsat to integrate functionality directly into our TVs is a significant step forward – offering consumers easier channel navigation and an enriched, dynamic programme guide. In addition, while most of our Smart TVs already support targeted advertising through internet-based IPTV environments, bringing this capability to satellite broadcasting has remained a challenge – until now. This advancement opens up new and exciting opportunities for personalised advertising on satellite TV, a breakthrough that will transform advertising monetisation in this space. We are delighted to be working with Eutelsat to lead this innovation.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cash crunch worsens at UK-backed Starlink rival as Trump tears up contracts
A British taxpayer-backed rival to Elon Musk's Starlink faces a looming cash crunch as Donald Trump's administration tears up foreign defence contracts. Eutelsat, a Paris-listed satellite business which counts Britain as a major shareholder, said the US government had refused to renew a 'sizeable contract' amid Mr Musk's drive to cut federal spending. It warned of a hit to sales following efforts by American officials to 'cut government spending overall' under pressure from the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) led by the billionaire Tesla boss. The French business owns OneWeb, the British satellite network that is the only operational rival to Mr Musk's Starlink network of thousands of communications satellites. The UK holds a 10pc stake and a golden share in the company. The business reported a 2pc drop in like-for-like sales as it told investors fewer than half of its US government contracts that were up for renewal had resulted in new deals. The drop 'reflects the change in the new presidential administration's geographic prioritisation for the defence department', Eutelsat said. Joanna Darlington, Eutelsat's head of investor relations, said the company's defence renewals were 'far lower' than they used to be, and the cuts had coincided with 'when Doge was at full speed'. Overall government sales climbed 10pc in the quarter, but this was driven by deals outside of the US. Eutelsat pointed to deals in Taiwan and Europe, which Ms Darlington said 'don't want to be reliant on a US operator'. The news comes as Eutelsat scrambles to raise additional cash to shore up its balance sheet and provide funding to help build a €10bn (£8.4bn) satellite network for the EU. The network is intended to break the bloc's reliance on Starlink, which is part of the mercurial Mr Musk's SpaceX empire. Eutelsat is a key player in Iris 2, a network of spacecraft planned by Brussels. The business needs around €4bn to cover the costs of developing new satellites. It also needs to refinance around €1bn in debts by mid-2027. The business has been in talks with government funding agencies to provide state-backed loans, but Christophe Gaudiere, its finance chief, admitted this was 'not going to be sufficient' to cover its needs. He said it was in talks for the 'reinforcement of our balance sheet structure'. The Telegraph understands the French government has been in talks about injecting more capital into the business, which could boost its shareholding in the business and dilute the UK's stake. Separately, Eutelsat said it would suffer a €16m hit as it is forced to cut off a series of Russian TV channels that broadcast via its satellites. The decision comes after French regulators demanded it halt broadcasts of the channels, which were linked to sanctioned Russian businesses. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
