German communications provider MBS has taken over selected media service operations from Astra satellite operator SES in Germany and the UK.
The acquired business has been rebranded as Full Season and will operate as an independent media services provider, delivering playout, content management, IP distribution, VOD delivery and OTT solutions. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
The acquisition, which took effect on 1 July 2025, marks a significant milestone for MBS as it expands beyond its core infrastructure and satellite services into the full media services value chain. With the addition of 60 employees and offices at the existing SES location in Unterföhring near Munich, Full Season aims to deliver seamless, scalable, and secure content solutions to broadcasters and brands across Europe.
“We have an excellent team in Unterföhring with a dedicated focus on service delivery and a great understanding of the evolving needs of today’s customers,” said Christian Fleischhauer, Managing Director of MBS. “We aim to become the key player and a true service partner for playout, VOD and content management in the European market in the next years.”
Qi Zhang-Holste, also Managing Director at MBS, added: “This acquisition enhances the reliability and geographical redundancy of our service offerings. Our customers increasingly demand complete support and maximum reliability – this move enables us to meet and exceed those expectations.”
For SES, the transaction represents a strategic realignment. The company is narrowing its focus on core satellite transmission services and related offerings such as uplink, multiplexing, encryption and encoding. By divesting the selected playout and content services, SES aims to streamline operations and reinforce its focus on satellite-based infrastructure and solutions.
“This transition ensures uninterrupted continuation of services,” SES noted in a statement, emphasising that both the staff and service obligations will be fully transferred to Full Season. The company will move into SES’s existing premises in Unterföhring, ensuring continuity for employees, customers and partners.
Full Season, a newly established entity under the MBS Group umbrella, positions itself as a full-service media partner equipped to support clients with intuitive tools, scalable OTT solutions and a secure delivery network.
Its parent company MBS (formerly known as Media Broadcast Satellite) is a provider of critical communication infrastructure and services. Headquartered in Usingen near Frankfurt, the group operates internationally with over 190 employees across Germany, France and Poland, providing data and voice communications via satellite and data networks – worldwide and in space. The scope ranges from classic satellite services to customised applications in the fields of new space, automation and artificial intelligence.
