User:Daweibj/sandbox

= StarTimes =

StarTimes is a Chinese media group with a strong presence in Africa.

StarTimes provides digital television technologies to countries and telecommunications companies which are switching from analog to digital television. StarTimes also offers Digital Terrestrial Television and Direct-To-Home Television services to consumers. StarTimes is today a leading digital TV-operator across Sub-Saharan Africa.

History
StarTimes Group was founded in 1988 by Chinese engineer Xinxing Pang.

In 2002 StarTimes began to expand its business to Africa, and has since been working closely with African governments to jointly promote digitization.

In 2007, StarTimes received the first digital TV operator license issued by Rwanda. Since, StarTimes has established subsidiaries in 30 African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Madagascar or Republic of Central Africa.

In February 2016, StarTimes was awarded a DTH License in Ivory Coast. Operation began on October 2016.

On November 23rd, 2016, StarTimes was one of the three companies selected by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to establish and operate DTH distribution services in Pakistan for a term of 15 years.

African Digital TV Development Seminar
In 2011, StarTimes hosted the First African Digital TV Development Seminar. The seminar, which has been held for seventh consecutive years, is an important platform for African countries to discuss how to realize the digital migration in the Africa.

At the latest forum in May 2017, over 400 delegates from 46 African and Asian countries were present at the seminar, including more than 30 ministers of information and communication from African countries, like Nigeria, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Zambia, DRC Congo and Ethiopia.

Sports broadcasting rights
Sport, and especially football, are StarTimes content priority.

In 2015, StarTimes a signed an exclusive broadcasting contract with the Bundesliga for 5 successive years in all Sub-Saharan countries. StarTimes became Bundesliga partner in Africa.

In 2015 StarTimes got the wide rights to televise French Ligue 1 and Italian Serie A for all Sub-Saharan countries.

Startimes signed in 2015 an exclusive broadcasting contract for the International Champions Cup (ICC) for the duration of 5 years.

In June 2016, StarTimes also signed an exclusive broadcasting contract with the Chinese Super League for 3 successive years in Sub-Saharan African.

In November 2016, StarTimes Group signed a ground-breaking media agreement with Ghana Football Association, vowing to promote the Ghana Premier League in Sub-Saharan Africa and the infrastructural development of the game in the West African country during the coming decade.

In April 2017, StarTimes secured media rights for 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia as well as all the other 2017-2018 FIFA events in all 42 territories of sub-Saharan Africa (except for the World Cup 2018 and the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 in South Africa).

StarTimes signed in April 2017 a partnership with Ivoirian football club ASEC Mimosas.

StarTimes-UNAIDS Cooperation
On May 12th, 2017, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, and StarTimes signed a memorandum of cooperation. This agreement officialized a cooperation which started a year before “to reduce the impact of HIV across Africa by disseminating messages to the general public to increase awareness of HIV and UNAIDS’ work and reduce stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV and populations affected by HIV”. The first concrete action of this cooperation was realized for the World Aids Day on December 1st, 2016, StarTimes broadcasted UNAIDS HIV prevention videos across their African networks in English and French from World Aids Day until the end of the year.