Etisalat in talks to beam TV to 24 countries

Talks are underway for Etisalat's television service to be available via satellite in countries across the Middle East, North Africa and southwest Asia.

ABU DHABI // Talks are underway for Etisalat's television service to be beamed to dozens of countries by Abu Dhabi's satellite company Yahsat.

If the negotiations are a success Etisalat's television and video-on-demand channels will be available via satellite in countries across the Middle East, North Africa and southwest Asia.

Yahsat, which is owned by Mubadala Development, a strategic investment company owned by the Abu Dhabi Government, plans to launch its first satellite in the next two months with a second expected in orbit in the second half of this year.

Under the YahLive brand, the satellite company plans to beam free and pay-TV broadcasts to more than two dozen countries including Iraq, Pakistan and Iran.

Jassem al Zaabi, the chief executive of Yahsat, confirmed that Etisalat is one of several operators that could provide it with content to make YahLive attractive to TV viewers.

"YahLive is a broadcasting platform but we are not content providers, we are content investors. We broadcast that content. There are few broadcast facilitators or brokers in this area and Etisalat is definitely one of them," Mr al Zaabi said.