First digital broadcast by satellite on a French package in March 1995
First and only satellite television package offering two choices simultaneously on satellite and cable. This made it possible to put in place digital receivers compatible with access controls for all the French packages. In 1999, the AB group reviewed the policy, and officially abandoned the sale of these decoders in France. This was reviewed again in 2003, notably with a receiver with an installation disc which permitted the registration functions.
"Best price" offers for a contract offering one-fifth of the channels in 1996.
Launch of 18 digital channels in three months.
Creation of the first themed channels : "life", "animals", "manga", "motors", "FIT TV", etc.
First encrypted channel reserved for adults to be approved by the CSA.
In 1999, an agreement was reached allowing the incorporation of AB channels into packages from other companies and allowing the customer to pay for more channels to be incorporated into the basic package, an option still available today.
Launch in May 2005 of prepaid cards allowing access to contract channels for a period of three to six months.
In June 2006, AB Sat had 30000 contracts direct to satellite.
September 2007: the group looks at allowing all satellite customers access to digital terrestrial television channels via Hot Bird and Atlantic Bird 3 satellites.
On 22 September 2007 a decision was reached obliging the AB SAT package to provide the public service channels France 2, France 3, France 4 and France 5 as well as Arte, LCP and TV5 Monde. On 24 October 2007, the channels France3 sat, France4, France5, France O and LCP arrived in the Absat package. At the end of November TF1 also arrived.
Since December 2007, Absat have offered the Bis Télévisions package, allowing all terrestrial channels in the ABSat package in their basic offer. The price is 4.90 Euros per month, without the Cinérama and Night options at an extra 4.90 Euros.
Satellite package
Bis Télévisions FRANCE : ---- ---- AB Sat Belgique : ---- AB3, AB4, AB1, RTL9, TMC, NT1, MANGAS, ANIMAUX, AB MOTEURS, XXL, ESCALES, ENCYCLOPEDIA, FIT-TV, TOUTE L'HISTOIRE, DORCEL TV, CINE FX, CINE FIRST, CINE POP, CINE POLAR, ACTION and CHASSE ET PECHE ---- ABSat Europe et Moyen-Orient : ---- AB1, RTL9, TMC, NT1, MANGAS, ANIMAUX, AB MOTEURS, XXL, ESCALES, ENCYCLOPEDIA, FIT-TV, TOUTE L'HISTOIRE, DORCEL TV, CINE FX, CINE FIRST, CINE POP, CINE POLAR, ACTION and CHASSE ET PECHE
Channels
General
For a long time, the increase in general channels has not translated to a similar acquisition of programmes, with the arrival of the command of Michèle Cotta in the board of AB Sat and of the digitalisation of programmes which allowed the growth of the portfolio in programmes, the channels have operated a little with a level of coherence and the presence of the same series, films, and telefilms on all three channels.
AB1
NT1
RTL9, acquired 65% in 1998
TMC Monte Carlo, acquired 40% in 2004
AB3 for contracts in Belgium
AB4 For contracts in Belgium
Cinema
The AB Sat package is the first package to theme their cinema channels, an idea copied today by all other French packages. The original five channels offered were : Action, Crime, Cinema Palace, Life and Romance. Action didn't survive, and was replaced by the option of Passions on TPS in 1999, the other channels were also reformatted. In September 2002, AB Sat launched the Ciné Box package with Ciné FX, Ciné Polar, Ciné Comic and Ciné Box. The package was not successful, and two channels disappeared in 2004 : Ciné Comic and Ciné Box. The two other channels, Ciné FX and Ciné Polar were taken in by the cinema package of Canalsat and TPS. The most part of the cinema channels was shared equally on cable in France and Belgium.
