Sky has renewed its direct-to-home (DTH) capacity agreement with SES, extending a long-standing satellite relationship at the 28.2° East orbital position into the 2030s.
The multi-year agreement covers multiple transponders across the Astra 2E, Astra 2F and Astra 2G satellites. The renewed contract extends beyond the 2029 horizon previously disclosed, although neither Sky nor SES has disclosed the financial value of the agreement.
The relationship between the two companies dates back to 1988, making Sky one of SES’s longest-standing major broadcast customers.
Sky Group chief operating officer Nick Herm said satellite continues to play an important role in the company’s delivery of services across the UK and Ireland. SES media president Deepak Mathur similarly positioned the renewal as evidence of continued broadcaster confidence in satellite distribution.
The agreement is notable because Sky has simultaneously expanded its IP-based delivery proposition through services including Sky Glass and Sky Stream. The continued commitment to DTH demonstrates that satellite remains part of the company’s distribution strategy alongside internet-based delivery.
For African pay-TV and broadcast operators, the renewal provides another indication that satellite and IP distribution are increasingly being used as complementary technologies rather than mutually exclusive delivery models.
It also reinforces the importance of long-term anchor customers to satellite operators such as SES, particularly as capacity providers and African broadcasters negotiate future transponder requirements, pricing and distribution strategies.
