Satellite Industry News

In recognition of the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) industry’s 30th anniversary, the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association will be presenting lifetime achievement awards to Mike Wittrock, Chief Operating Officer of DIRECTV and Amir Ahmed, Executive Vice President of DISH Network.

LITTLETON, Colo., April 10, 2024 – Renowned Pro Football Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, current head coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes, and celebrated community advocate, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders is teaming up with Boost Mobile. Both known for trendsetting, displaying a commitment to excellence and involvement in their local communities, this partnership marks the beginning of a journey to inspire all to dare to be different.

Germantown, MD, April 8, 2024 — Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar (Nasdaq: SATS) company, today announced its it has been awarded a production contract from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to produce a key component of the next-generation satellite communications (SATCOM) system for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle 25M Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Under the contract, Hughes will provide advanced, ruggedized HM400 modems, named the HM400T, that integrate with the DoD’s standard waveform technology and transmission security (TRANSEC) features to enable significantly increased endurance and resilience for Gray Eagle 25M’s wide range of Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaisance (AISR) mission requirements, particularly for operations in contested environments.

ENGLEWOOD, CO., April 8, 2024 -- DISH Media today launched PerformXP, a cross-platform, impression-based solution for performance advertisers. PerformXP offers a seamless solution for performance advertisers to execute digital media buys across both STB and CTV inventory via one insertion order. Focused on delivering clients the necessary data for targeted outcomes and attribution, this solution facilitates real-time reporting across all inventory, empowering buyers to more effectively measure campaigns. 

Germantown, MD, April 2, 2024 – Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an EchoStar company (Nasdaq: SATS), today announced the commercial availability of the Hughes HL1120W Terminal. This electronically steerable antenna-based (ESA) terminal has received Eutelsat OneWeb approval for operation in its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network and this milestone enables Hughes to bring Eutelsat OneWeb’s enterprise-grade, low-latency, high-speed connectivity to customers across the globe. As an early pioneer in LEO technologies, Hughes developed the gateway and core modem module for all OneWeb terminals and is continuing its engineering leadership with this groundbreaking, flat panel ESA. 

DIRECTV today announced a new agreement with Major League Baseball enabling local Colorado Rockies fans to see this season’s games on a new, dedicated team-channel. Beginning MLB Opening Day, March 28, local DIRECTV satellite and streaming customers across the multi-state MLB-mandated Rockies home territory will automatically receive live, high-definition coverage of Rockies games included with Choice package or higher. The games will be available on DIRECTV (Ch. 683) and DIRECTV STREAM (Ch 683).

DIRECTV is building on its leadership in sports and its premier viewing and aggregation experience.

Customers who watch DIRECTV satellite-free with a Gemini device will soon receive an upgrade to a new, fully-tailored experience called Your TV.  This new interface combines a user’s selected favorites with their most watched content to immediately put the best of live programming front and center from the moment the TV is turned on. 

TAMPA, Fla. (March 26, 2024) – DOW Technologies, the leading independently owned technology distributor, was recently awarded five Quest for Quality Awards in CE Pro’s 14^th annual competition. This is the fourth straight year DOW has won an award, including three straight years in the Best Customer Service category.

CARLSBAD, Calif., March 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat, Inc.?(NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, has been selected to power in-flight connectivity onboard 40 additional aircraft by Korean Air, South Korea's flag carrier.

Germantown, MD, March 15, 2024 – Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), an EchoStar company (Nasdaq: SATS), today announced that Nilesat, a leading satellite operator in the MENA region has purchased a Hughes JUPITER™ System Gateway and will use Hughes JUPITER terminals for its Nilesat 301 satellite. The implementation will begin in Q2 and is expected to be complete by the end of Q3 2024.

CARLSBAD, Calif., and LONG BEACH, Calif., March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced it selected Rocket Lab USA, Inc (Nasdaq: RKLB), a leading launch and space systems company, to support Viasat's hybrid space communications networks demonstrations by producing a spacecraft bus and providing mission operation support. The demonstrations will make evident Viasat's portfolio of multi-band, space-based relay communication services in support of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space missions with substantial flexibility in managing data, with lower data latency and higher throughput in real time.

CARLSBAD, Calif., March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced that Icelandair has selected its industry-leading inflight Wi-Fi solution for the airline's new fleet of Airbus aircraft. The new fleet is expected to service routes between Iceland and Europe as well as transatlantic flights, and is scheduled to begin delivery in Q4 CY 2024, marking the first Airbus aircraft to be operated by Icelandair.

Cox Media Group (CMG) and DIRECTV have officially reached a new multi-year agreement that will restore all CMG stations on DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse, effective immediately.

TAMPA, Fla. (February 1, 2024) – DOW Technologies, the leading independently owned technology distributor, announced the expansion of agreements with KICKER and Voxx Electronics. In addition, DOW is now carrying products from Tury, a manufacturer of throttle controllers.

TAMPA, Fla. (October 27, 2023) – DOW Technologies, the leading independently owned technology distributor, has expanded its partnership with LG across DOW’s territory. The agreement makes LG’s full line of TVs available to DOW’s customers, bolstering DOW’s lineup of top selling TV brands.

CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced key financial developments that are expected to materially enhance Viasat's cash generation profile. As a result of these developments, Viasat now expects to reach the inflection point of sustainable positive free cash flow during the first half of calendar 2025, rather than the second half, as previously announced, excluding the positive impact of satellite insurance proceeds.

Consumers today want more choice and value for the news, entertainment, and sports they’re willing to pay to receive in their homes. And DIRECTV aims to provide it.

On October 14, the Greatest Intersectional Rivalry in College Football, the Jeweled Shillelagh Rivalry Presented by DIRECTV, will take place in Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.

TAMPA, Fla. (October 3, 2023) – DOW Technologies, the leading independently owned technology distributor, has expanded its partnership with KICKER as the new authorized distributor in Florida. This agreement expands DOW’s distribution of KICKER in the Southeast.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the sixth year in a row DISH Network has been named #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Cable/Satellite TV Service Providers Nationally, in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study. DISH has earned more J.D. Power customer satisfaction awards than any other cable/satellite TV service brand nationally.