Intelsat is the world’s second largest provider of satellite capacity for media customers, according to Euroconsult, with a 20 percent global share. We have delivered television programming to the world since the launch of our first satellite, Early Bird, in 1965. We provide satellite capacity for the transmission of entertainment, news, sports and educational programming for approximately 400 broadcasters, content providers and Direct-to-Home (“DTH”) platform operators worldwide. We have well-established relationships with our media customers and, in some cases, have distributed their content on our satellites for over 25 years.
Media is our second largest customer set. An attractive aspect of our media business model is the signing of long-term agreements, providing on-going visibility for revenue and cash flows through our contracted backlog.
Growth opportunities in our media business closely follow the continued deployment of high definition channels around the world and growth in DTH satellite television, particularly outside of the developed world. In 2015, we launched Intelsat 34, a replacement satellite, which further enhanced our leading video distribution neighborhood in Latin America. The same satellite allowed us to expand the level of services that we provide to a Brazilian DTH operator to enable expansion of its high definition service platform. Combined with the launches of Intelsat 30 and Intelsat 34, Intelsat 31 will further enhance our successful media business in the Latin America region.
Our customers seek to maximize the potential audience for their content and to distribute in as many formats as possible to attract and retain viewers. Our goal is to provide the most efficient distribution platforms for content owners, with neighborhoods and service platforms that create value in terms of reach and operational ease. With the potential of new ultra-high definition and high dynamic range video driving new formats, we are well-positioned to support the growth of our customers in their home markets and around the world.
Our media business is expected to benefit in the near term from the launch of two satellites, Intelsat 31 and Intelsat 36. These satellites are scheduled to launch in the second quarter and fourth quarters of 2016, respectively. Intelsat 36 will add growth capacity for our DTH and distribution neighborhood serving Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, our collaboration with Azercosmos, Intelsat 38, will provide customized capacity for our 45° E neighborhood and will be used to support DTH services in Europe and Asia, continuing media momentum into 2018.
PSSI Global Services provided World Feed production services and all of the transmission services for the multiple television and internet feeds across the globe for the 10th Anniversary edition of the Amgen Tour of California cycling stage race. Acritical element of production and transmission for this multi-day show is communication, both inside the compound and with the outside world. Intelsat supported these communication needs for the first time with our robust IntelsatOne® Prism system. This service dramatically increased the power, flexibility and success rate for all the connectivity not only for the multiple audio-video productions, but for other key race activities. Without IntelsatOne Prism, mission-critical communication including transmission access, network coordination, race data collection and webcast initiation would not have been possible.
