Arabsat and Grass Valley will showcase their partnership at CABSAT 2025, with live demonstrations of the new services.
Arabsat, a global satellite operator and the primary provider of satellite services in the Arab world, has entered into a strategic partnership with Grass Valley, a prominent player in live production technology, to unveil a new suite of cloud-native broadcast services. The launch, powered by Grass Valley’s Agile Media Processing Platform (AMPP OS), introduces Playout X—a scalable and flexible media platform aimed at transforming broadcast capabilities across the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
Announced during CABSAT 2024, the collaboration represents a major step in Arabsat’s digital transformation journey. Transitioning from traditional on-premises infrastructure, Arabsat now embraces a modern, cloud-based architecture that enables greater flexibility, faster deployment and improved operational efficiency for broadcasters.
The Playout X suite comes in three service tiers tailored to varying customer needs. The TV Pinnacle Package offers a premium experience with multiple live sources, advanced switching, graphics, subtitling, Dolby support and full operator assistance. The Advanced Package delivers a balanced solution with key live features, native graphics and operator support. Meanwhile, the TV Starter Package provides a streamlined, entry-level option focused on core broadcasting essentials.
Eng. Alhamedi Alanezi, CEO and President of Arabsat, said: “At Arabsat, we are committed to staying ahead of industry demands and delivering cutting-edge media services to our customers. By leveraging Grass Valley AMPP, we’re enabling a new generation of agile, multitenant, cloud-based services that support our video customers’ growth and innovation across the region.”
Grass Valley’s AMPP platform was chosen for its scalability, secure multitenancy, and smooth integration with Arabsat’s private cloud. Both companies worked closely to complete a rigorous technical validation process, adapting the platform to meet Arabsat’s operational and security standards while ensuring high-quality broadcast performance.
Jon Wilson, CEO at Grass Valley, added: “This collaboration with Arabsat is a major step forward for Grass Valley in the MENA region. Arabsat’s vision aligns perfectly with AMPP’s strengths – offering broadcasters the flexibility, performance, and reliability needed to succeed in today’s fast-evolving media landscape.”
As the commercial rollout begins after CABSAT 2025, broadcasters in the region can look forward to accelerated service launches, reduced hardware dependency, and seamless access to advanced broadcast features delivered by a trusted regional provider.
Both Arabsat and Grass Valley will demonstrate their collaborative innovations at CABSAT 2025. Visitors can explore the new Playout X services at Arabsat’s Booth S2-D10 in Hall 2 and witness how to manage channels remotely using live feeds and file-based content. At Grass Valley’s Booth S1-H10, attendees will experience the integration of live production, playout, and remote workflows through its cutting-edge AMPP-powered ecosystem.
