11th September 2005 • Sony and Euro1080, Europe’s first and until now only operational High Definition Television (HDTV) Media Company, are proud to be able to announce that both companies have entered into a strategic partnership. Both companies signed a mutual commitment to promote HDTV. Not only they will do joint promotional efforts, Sony also has bought 100,000 Euro1080 Conditional Access Cards. By joining the select group of Euro1080 partners, Sony can use from now on Euro1080’s European platform to show its products and services to the consumer.
Gabriel Fehervari, CEO of Euro1080, stated: ”Euro1080 partners have one important characteristic in common: they all have a passion for quality and HDTV, which they want to share with the public. I am very pleased that Sony, which plays a key role in the High Definition market, is prepared to bundle efforts with Euro1080 to draw attention of the important change in the television landscape in the near future”.
Partners of Euro1080 have the right to show Euro1080 content in all of their points of sale as well as trade fairs. Euro1080 also offers marketing material to promote its channels and HDTV in general. In addition Euro1080 assists its partners at press events, road shows and large trade events with the Euro1080 signal on their HD displays.
Sony has bought 100,000 CA cards. As a consequence, the number of CA cards in the market has more than doubled in the last six months and now amounts to more than 200,000 of which a fast growing number is being activated.
The other strategic partners of Euro1080 are Astra, Loewe, Panasonic, Pioneer, Quali TV, Avid, Canon, Grass Valley, Tandberg and XDC EVS Group.
Consumer electronics manufacturers, which have not entered into a strategic partnership with Euro1080 are not allowed to use the HDTV signal in shops nor at trade fairs.
www.sony.com
www.euro1080.tv
