Odeon UCI, one of Europe’s leading cinema exhibitors and the world’s largest outside of the Americas, has chosen to deploy Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Satellite System. The agreement, working through Arqiva’s Digital Cinema partners Arts Alliance Media, will see Arqiva install its professional satellite receive equipment at nearly 100 cinemas for UCI in Italy and Portugal, UCI Kinowelt in Austria and Germany, and Cinesa in Spain. This will enable the delivery of DCPs and live events via Arqiva’s Digital Cinema platform on IS905.
Barrie Woolston, Commercial Director at Arqiva Broadcast & Media, said: “Odeon UCI’s decision is a massive endorsement of our Digital Cinema Satellite System both conceptually and technically. Its deployment across close to 100 Odeon UCI cinemas represents a considerable growth of our network and greatly reinforces our presence in key European markets – especially Spain and Italy. Indeed the ever growing momentum of our roll out leaves little doubt that Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Satellite System is the preferred electronic delivery method for European exhibitors – including leading names like Odeon UCI.”
Drew Kaza, Executive Vice President of Digital Development for ODEON and UCI Cinemas, added: “Our decision to deploy Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Satellite System helps keep our cinema circuit at the cutting edge of cinema distribution. We believe that electronic delivery by satellite brings us key benefits and is the way forward for cinema distribution – and that Arqiva is an ideal technology partner for Odeon UCI.”
Arqiva provides robust satellite and IP networks for the managed delivery of entertainment, information and advertising worldwide. It works with leading media distributors to provide electronic delivery services of live events and feature films into digital cinemas across Europe.
This news comes hot on the heels of a whole host of Digital Cinema news for Arqiva in 2010 (both DCP and alternative live content), as follows:
- Arqiva, on behalf of Arts Alliance Media, has provided Outside Broadcasts and satellite services for a live cinema event ‘Chasing Legends’
- International Datacasting Corporation (IDC), has entered into a partnership to supply Arqiva with its comprehensive digital cinema specific content distribution applications and remote site equipment.
- Arqiva’s Digital Cinema partners, Arts Alliance Media, have signed a major contract with leading Spanish cinema chain Yelmo Cines
- Arts Alliance Media (AAM) has sold Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Platform to leading UK exhibitor Cineworld.
- XDC, a leading pan-European cinema distributor, has sold Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Satellite Distribution System to five cinema chains operating in Austria, Portugal and Malta.
- Empire Cinemas has chosen to deploy Arqiva’s Digital Cinema Satellite Distribution System for their entire cinema circuit.
- Deluxe Digital London in agreement with Arqiva to use their European Digital Cinema Platform for the electronic delivery of Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) from international studios to cinemas across Europe.
- Opus Arte has chosen Arqiva to relay all its upcoming live feeds from the Royal Opera House to North America and Western and Eastern Europe
- Arqiva has provided Dolby with world wide satellite distribution of live video showing celebrities arriving for movie premieres
- Arqiva is to provide specialist French film channel ‘Cinémoi’ with playout services through its Chalfont Grove Media Centre
- Arqiva has signed a partnership with Italian Digital Cinema distributor Microcinema to use Arqiva’s Digital Cinema platform on the Intelsat IS905 satellite to deliver live alternative content to its network of around 100 cinemas in Italy.
- Arqiva is to provide XDC with satellite based electronic delivery to cinemas using its IS905 Digital Cinema platform and satellite infrastructure