Pan-Arabic DTH operator Arabsat is ready to exploit its partnership with French media management and CDN provider GlobeCast to launch new neighborhood channels across North Africa. All these countries are Arabic-speaking, but with variations in dialect between and even within countries. Algeria is set to be the first market served by new channels, of which five have already been launched. The aim is to extend from that and establish a cluster of premium channels that will be carried from Arabsat's BADR satellite at 26 degrees east. GlobeCast is contributing its teleport facilities, playout services, network and knowledge of the North African broadcast market.
This relationship began in 2004, when GlobeCast, Arabsat and Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) expanded the potential viewership and footprint of the Global Arabic Bouquet, a grouping of premium Arabic channels from the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), available anywhere in the world. This gave ASBU members a single partner for global distribution. Then in January 2012, GlobeCast and Arabsat announced that this Global Arabic Bouquet was available for distribution on the 5C satellite over Africa. This satellite had been launched in September 2011.
The latest development enables localization, with the ability to deliver channels on a national basis.
