On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, satellite operator SES and French media group CANAL+ announced a multi-year extension of their strategic distribution partnership through 2040.
Under the agreement, CANAL+ will secure geostationary satellite capacity across multiple orbital positions to deliver video and pay-television bouquets to more than 40 million subscribers across 70 countries throughout Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Multi-Decade Broadcast Heritage and Contract Lineage
The renewal extends an operational collaboration spanning over three decades, securing transmission capacity for CANAL+ across prime orbital neighborhoods. The commitment expands upon earlier milestones when SES and CANAL+ partnered to serve more than 10 million viewers across Western Europe, Central Europe, and Africa, utilizing slots including Astra 19.2 degrees East, 23.5 degrees East, and SES-4 at 22 degrees West.
The agreement strengthens SES’s core media backlog, mirroring recent distribution renewals where SES and Sky extended their direct-to-home satellite capacity agreement across the UK and Ireland to maintain linear reach alongside digital streaming migration.
Orbital Fleet Footprint and Multi-Region Transmission
Under the expanded framework, CANAL+ leverages SES’s geostationary fleet to maintain deterministic, broadcast-grade delivery across geographically dispersed markets. Satellite transponders provide wide-area point-to-multipoint distribution that bypasses terrestrial broadband bottlenecks, enabling high-definition and ultra-high-definition broadcasts to reach remote households across Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Europe, and the Caribbean.
Executive Perspectives on Satellite Media Delivery
Leadership from both organizations underscored that orbital broadcast networks remain essential to global television distribution.
“SES has been a trusted partner for more than 30 years, helping us deliver premium content to millions of viewers across Europe and Africa,” stated Stéphane Baumier, Chief Technology Officer of CANAL+. “This new agreement supports our long-term growth and provides the flexibility and reliability required as we continue to expand our international footprint and serve an increasingly diverse subscriber base”.
“CANAL+ is one of SES’s most valued and longest-standing customers,” added Deepak Mathur, President Media Vertical at SES. “This agreement demonstrates the enduring importance of satellite in reliably delivering high-quality content to a global audience and highlights the strength of our partnership”.
Long-Term Broadcast Operations Horizon
The multi-year agreement guarantees distribution continuity for CANAL+ through 2040. As media networks navigate hybrid distribution strategies, the renewal confirms geostationary satellites as an anchor platform for live events, premium sports, and linear entertainment broadcasts.
