Viasat Extends and Broadens Partnership with NDS to Embrace Suite of Solutions for High Definition TV
Highlights:
- Viasat Broadcasting extends contract with NDS for the provision
of VideoGuard®
conditional access for Viasat’s digital premium Pay-TV
satellite platform.
- Second new agreement covers the supply of NDS MediaHighway® middleware,
customized electronic program guide and XTV® DVR technology
in support of Viasat’s
recently announced High Definition satellite Pay TV service
LONDON, UK – February 5, 2008 – NDS,
the leading provider of technology solutions
for digital pay-TV, today announced that Viasat, a leading digital
satellite pay-TV operator
serving Scandinavia and the Baltic region, has extended its long-standing
relationship
with NDS for the provision of market-leading VideoGuard® conditional
access (CA).
In addition, the companies have inked a second, new agreement
whereby NDS is to
commence supplying Viasat with market-leading MediaHighway® middleware,
XTV® DVR
technology, and a customized Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
to secure and power its
new High Definition pay TV service.
VideoGuard, Mediahighway and XTV are all world market leaders
in the Pay TV industry:
VideoGuard CA and DRM currently protect 82.7 million active digital
set-top boxes
(STBs) worldwide. There are 76.4 million NDS middleware clients
deployed worldwide,
and NDS technology powers over 10.4 million DVRs.
“Viasat’s extension of the agreement with NDS is
a clear ratification of the successful
business-enhancing platform security which NDS has delivered
to them for a number of
years, and we are extremely proud of this endorsement” said
Dr Abe Peled, NDS
Chairman and CEO. He continued: “This, together with the
new agreement, demonstrates
Viasat’s continuing confidence in NDS’ capabilities
as a wide-ranging technology partner,
and trust in our ability to provide solutions that will help
Viasat meet its business
objectives both now and in the future.”
Viasat Broadcasting is the largest business area within Modern
Times Group (MTG), an
international media group based in Sweden.
Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented: “Our
long-standing
successful relationship with NDS has truly been a major factor
in the success of our
business; NDS has an unmatched track record for delivering the
best content protection
in the industry, and this led us to extend our existing agreement.” He
continued: “The new
agreement supports the launch and development of our new High
Definition platform, a
key milestone for Viasat as we take our business to the next
level. We are confident in
NDS’ ability to help us provide the most advanced and exciting
viewing experience
possible to our customers.”
About Modern Times Group
Modern Times Group is a leading international entertainment broadcasting
group with the
second largest geographical broadcast footprint in Europe. MTG’s
Viasat Broadcasting is the largest free-to-air and satellite
premium pay-TV operator in Scandinavia and the
Baltics, and also operates channels in the Czech Republic, Russia,
Hungary, Slovenia
and the Balkans. Viasat channels are broadcast in a total of
24 countries and reach 100
million people. MTG is also the biggest shareholder in Russia’s
largest independent
television network (CTC Media - NASDAQ: CTCM), and the number
one commercial
radio operator in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Modern Times
Group MTG AB class A
and B shares are listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Large Cap
market (MTGA´ and
MTGB´). For more information on MTG, please visit www.mtg.se
About NDS
NDS Group plc (NASDAQ: NNDS), a majority owned subsidiary of
News Corporation, supplies open end-to-end digital technology
and services to digital pay-television platform operators and
content providers. See www.nds.com for
more information about NDS.
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Statements
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statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s
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For further information:
| NDS |
|
| Cynthia Ritchie |
T: +44 (0)20 8476 8378 |
| Director, Corporate Communications |
critchie@nds.com |
| |
|
| Breakaway Communications Europe for NDS |
T: +44 7949 883636 |
| Rachel Postlethwaite, Director |
rp@breakawaycom.com |
| |
|
| Breakaway Communications for NDS |
T: +1 212 616 6006 |
| Kelly Fitzgerald, Managing Partner |
kfitz@breakawaycom.com |
| |
|
| MTG/Viasat Broadcasting |
T: +44 7912 280850 |
| Bert Willborg, Communications Manager |
bert.willborg@mtg.se |