MX1, the technical services subsidiary of Astra satellite operator SES, has concluded an extended service agreement with Sky Deutschland.
In particular, the scope of MX1’s contingency service will be expanded to include the German pay-TV broadcaster’s over-the-top (OTT) signals as well as its main broadcasts.
The MX1 broadcast centre will simultaneously receive all essential data and video transmission material from Sky Deutschland’s main channels. In the event that a natural disaster or other catastrophe impacts Sky Deutschland’s media centre, its broadcast or OTT signal can be rapidly restored via MX1’s broadcast centre in Unterföhring near Munich, Germany.
The agreement includes content management, playout and uplink services for the main signal as well as encoding and distribution for OTT delivery.
“Big players such as Sky need a reliable partner that can assure service continuity in case an unforeseen external catastrophe impacts their own infrastructure,” said Christoph Mühleib, managing director of Astra Deutschland, responsible for marketing and sales of Astra and MX1 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “I’m proud to say that in such an event MX1 can guarantee to jump in and take over all contracted services on the same day.”
