Alterna’TV hires CEO in Euro channels push

Eutelsat Americas has appointed Aymeric Genty as CEO of its TV networks distribution subsidiary, Alterna’TV, as it looks to expand and make channels available in Europe, Africa, and Asia for the first time.

Genty joined Alterna’TV this week from Eutelsat in Paris where he has worked as vice president of sales for France and French-speaking markets since 2008.

With the appointment, Eutelsat Americas said that it was setting its sights on “aggressive expansion” for the Alterna’TV distribution platform from its existing base as a distributor of Hispanic TV channels to cable and IP households in the US.

Under Genty’s leadership, Alterna’TV will make channels available for the first time in other territories outside the Americas. It will also broaden its distribution platform beyond Hispanic channels to bring more international content to US and Latin American markets.

As a first example of this, Eutelsat Americas said that it has signed a contract with Trace to deliver TraceSports Stars, the first global English-language entertainment channel dedicated to sports celebrities, to some of the main pay TV platforms in Latin America.

Commenting on Genty’s appointment, Patricio Northland, CEO of Eutelsat Americas said: “We are delighted to welcome Aymeric as the head of the Alterna’TV team. His broad experience in broadcasting at Eutelsat and in key broadcasting groups will be a driving force to transform Alterna’TV into a leading content management solution for the Americas.”

Prior to joining Eutelsat, Genty was distribution and marketing director at France 24 between 2005 and 2007 and director, Asia-Pacific, at Eurosport from 2001 to 2004.