Astro in Joint Venture for Indian DTH Services

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10: Astro All
Asia Networks is teaming with India’s Maran Group, owner of the Sun TV Network,
to launch a direct-to-home platform in India.

Under the proposed transaction,
South Asia Entertainment Holdings, a wholly owned unit of Astro, will invest up
to $166 million for 20 percent of Sun Direct TV, which owns a license to
provide DTH services in India. The remaining 80 percent will be held by the
Maran Group. Services are expected to be first offered to customers in the
second half of this year.

Astro already operates DTH
platforms in Malaysia and Brunei, with one set to soon launch in Indonesia.

Astro's CEO, Robert Odendaal, said
in announcing the deal: "Our participation in Sun Direct provides us with
a foothold into the fast-growing DTH market in India. The Indian market offers
118 million television households. At present, there are over 65 million pay-TV
homes, and this market is expected to grow to over 150 million homes in the
next decade. We believe that the superior service offering of DTH platforms
coupled with the implementation of conditional access systems by cable networks
will allow DTH services to expand rapidly in India."