[Satnews] SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announced today that Viasat, a direct broadcast satellite television broadcaster and pay TV operator, owned by the Swedish media and entertainment group Modern Times Group (MTG), has committed to extend its partnership with SES for the transmission of its approximately 230 channels in the Nordic and Baltic countries. This agreement represents a major step to secure business in the region on a long-term basis. 

MTG’s Viasat Broadcasting operates free-TV and pay-TV channels in SD and in HD. SES will continue to transmit all existing Viasat channels via ASTRA 4A and SES-5 on 5 degrees East to the Nordic and Baltic countries. 

“Viasat has been a long-standing partner since the mid of 1990s. We are very pleased that Viasat relies on SES for its continuing growth in the future,” said Håkan Sjödin, Vice President, Sales Nordic, Baltic and Eastern Europe at SES. “This contract extension demonstrates that satellite plays an important role for TV distribution, and how it will remain key for the video business from a long-term perspective.”