The Armenian commercial broadcaster Shant TV will launch a new international multi-channel platform from Eutelsat’s Hot Bird neighbourhood on July 15.

It has also signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat to support its new, all-HD venture.

Targeting an estimated 4 million Armenian speakers living within the footprint in Europe, the Middle East and European part of the Russian Federation, the platform’s services will cost a minimum of €5 a month to receive and will include Shant Premium, Armenia Premium and Shant Music. It will be available DTH for households equipped with a dish and box, as well as through cable and IP networks.

Commenting on the upcoming launch, Arthur Yezekyan, president and founder of Shant TV LLC, said: “We know already from the results of our survey that 50% of the audience of Shant Premium outside Armenia watches our channel from Eutelsat’s Hotbird position. This was decisive in our choice of Hotbird for distributing our new offer. Our thanks go to Eutelsat for their highly valuable support and consultancy, especially for technical and marketing activities.”

Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s commercial and development director, added: “The exceptionally broad coverage of Hotbird and an offer of 1,000 channels in 30 languages make it the point of reference for broadcasters seeking to reach dispersed communities. We are delighted to support Shant TV’s effort to leverage Hotbird’s unique strengths to reach Armenian viewers across multiple countries. The transition from standard broadcasting of a single channel to a multi-channel HD platform also demonstrates the accelerating trend towards HD. Nowhere is this more apparent than at our Hotbird that already hosts 280 HD channels.”