With decades of reliable and trusted programming delivery under its belt, SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL company, announced more than 30 leading television programmers and networks representing 120 channels have signed IPTV transport agreements with SES AMERICOM and its IP-PRIME IPTV Television Broadcast Center. Starz!/Encore, A&E Television Networks, Hallmark Channels, and Lifetime Networks headline a growing lineup, which is expected to surpass the 200 channel mark by the time IP-PRIME makes its commercial debut later this year.

The centralized, satellite delivered IPTV solution originates from SES AMERICOM's IPTV distribution center based in Vernon Valley, New Jersey, where high-end video programming and content is received, processed, and then transported nationwide by satellite to authorized video hubs and consumer set top boxes. IP-PRIME is an innovative turnkey solution that leverages both cutting-edge distribution and encoding technologies and long-standing relationships with the world's leading programmers.

"For nearly thirty years, SES AMERICOM has delivered the coverage and reliability the world's best programmers and content providers have come to trust and depend on to reach growing audiences with insatiable appetites for quality news and entertainment," said Bryan McGuirk, president of media solutions for SES AMERICOM. "IP-PRIME opens the door for programmers in search of new markets and viewers ready to receive the true triple play of video, voice and broadband over a single line to the home."

"Commercial free movies are timeless in their appeal, as they have long been a favorite of consumers across all viewing platforms," said Tom Gove, vice president, Starz Entertainment. "We are pleased to make the full complement of the Starz and Encore channels available through SES AMERICOM's IP-PRIME."

"We are delighted to partner with SES AMERICOM to bring our powerful brand and the popular programming from our three networks, Lifetime Television, LMN and Lifetime Real Women, to their customers," said Louise Henry Bryson, president, distribution and affiliate business development, Lifetime Networks.

The inaugural line-up of IP-PRIME programmers that have signed agreements with SES AMERICOM includes the Starz!/Encore suite of movie channels; Lifetime Television's three channels; Crowns Media's two Hallmark channels; the C-SPAN channels; EWTN; the Tennis Channel; Bloomberg Television; Gospel Music Channel; and Wealth TV, among others.

BellSouth and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) are in advanced stages of trials of the IP-PRIME IPTV programming distribution platform, which is capable of delivering content to the telephone company's video hubs or all the way to the IPTV set-top box in the customer's home.