Luxembourg — On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, satellite fleet operator SES announced a multi-year extension of its direct-to-home (DTH) satellite capacity agreement with European media and connectivity provider Sky.
The renewal extends the long-standing commercial relationship between the two entities into the next decade, ensuring continuous video transmission and broadcast distribution services across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Under the terms of the renewed agreement, Sky will retain transponder capacity situated at SES’s premier geostationary broadcast neighborhood at the 28.2 degrees East orbital position. The slot serves as the primary distribution trunk for Sky’s linear channels, delivering high-definition and standard-definition television feeds to millions of commercial and residential subscribers across the British Isles.
Four Decades of Orbital Broadcast Continuity
The newly secured agreement builds upon a continuous commercial partnership between SES and Sky that originally commenced in 1988, during the initial deployment of European commercial direct-to-home satellite television. Across four decades of operational evolution, the 28.2° East orbital slot has served as the core infrastructure backbone for video delivery in the UK and Irish television markets.
The multi-year commitment comes as space segment capacity remains vital for media groups balancing streaming migration with linear broadcast reliability. Satellite spectrum at 28.2° East provides broadcast redundancy, fixed bandwidth overhead, and uninterrupted linear transmission that terrestrial internet networks cannot duplicate at identical scale without network congestion or latency constraints.
Orbital Fleet Distribution Infrastructure
The capacity provided under the renewal leverages SES’s geostationary satellite constellation operating at the 28.2° East orbital arc. Satellites positioned at this neighborhood utilize high-power Ku-band transponders specifically configured to optimize downlink coverage across the UK and Irish landmasses.
By operating from this dedicated slot, the transponders deliver linear video content directly to consumer satellite dishes and localized headends, guaranteeing deterministic signal delivery across diverse geographical regions regardless of local terrestrial broadband infrastructure density.
Executive Perspectives on Satellite Resilience
“As we give customers more choice in how they access Sky, satellite continues to play an important role in how we deliver our services to customers across the UK and Ireland,” said Nick Herm, Group Chief Operating Officer at Sky. “This agreement with SES provides the reliability, reach and service quality we need to continue delivering the viewing experience our satellite customers expect.”
“Sky has been a valued partner of SES for nearly four decades, and this agreement marks another important milestone in our relationship while reinforcing our commitment to the UK and Ireland market,” said Deepak Mathur, President of Media Vertical at SES. “This significant multi-year renewal demonstrates the confidence that leading broadcasters continue to place in satellite. It remains an effective way to deliver premium content at scale, providing the reach, reliability and resilience broadcasters depend on while delivering exceptional viewing experiences to millions of households.”
Long-Term Broadcast Operations and Service Delivery
The multi-year duration guarantees that satellite distribution will remain a core element of Sky’s multi-platform delivery strategy well into the 2030s. As major European broadcasters navigate the integration of internet protocol television (IPTV) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms, geostationary satellite networks continue to provide the primary, resilient infrastructure required for live events, linear sports broadcasts, and high-concurrency national news programming.
Operations under the renewed contract take effect immediately
