iKO Media Group is furthering its relationship with Eutelsat Group (Euronext Paris, London Stock Exchange: ETL), to bring an innovative new eSports TV package, eCLUTCH, to screens across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Launching at Eutelsat’s 16° East orbital position, HOTBIRD at 13° East and 7/8° West, the platform initially includes 10 eSports and gaming channels, with more to join in the near future.
The eSports market is expected to exceed 856 million users worldwide by 2028[1], and millions of viewers tune in to watch the experts play their favourite games. Traditionally distributed via streaming platforms and social media, iKO Media Group is expanding the reach of this new content to hard-to-reach areas beyond terrestrial networks via satellite, in a new hybrid distribution approach for eSports.
By incorporating satellite broadcasting in its distribution strategy, iKO Media Group is amplifying the channels’ reach to the millions of homes available via satellite, enabling broadcasters and TV platforms to target new audience bases, and bringing new content that was previously inaccessible to millions of viewers.
This new multi-year agreement between Eutelsat and iKO Media Group represents a new business model for Eutelsat, showcasing its ability to evolve as a solutions provider, working with partners to develop solutions that provide value to both clients and their end-users.
The service has already been selected by Albania’s leading pay-TV platform, DigitAlb, at 16° East, to expand its content offer and attract new subscribers.
Arnaud Verlhac, eCLUTCH CO-Founder, commented, “Close to 1 billion people around the world watch video game and tournaments. For media, E-sports is a huge opportunity to reach a new target audience in the same way they already do with sports, music, or events. I am really excited to build this bridge with such a strong and trusted partner as Eutelsat. The launch of eCLUTCH on DigitAlb, and across the EMEA region, is the achievement of several months of hard work, but just the start of a fantastic adventure.”
DigitAlb CEO, Eglinor Ramaj, said of the new package, “Launching this eSport channel package will help us attract new audience demographics. As a well-established TV Platform, DigitAlb is able to provide larger audiences for eSports channels, while these channels will help us attract a younger digital-native demographic, to whom we can offer a high quality, large screen experience for their eSports passion.”
Laurence Delpy, President of Eutelsat Video Business Unit, added, “We are honoured to be selected by IKO Media to launch this innovative new platform. The deal showcases both the new types of content we are bringing to satellite, as well as satellite’s role in enabling broadcasters to extend their reach and target new audience bases. We are also delighted to see our anchor client, DigitAlb, already making eCLUTCH available for its subscribers.”