Sky UK signs deal with SES
LUXEMBOURG, May 9, (Agencies): Audiences across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland will continue to enjoy their favourite premium content via Sky UK, as the leading pay-TV operator extended multiple transponder contracts with SES. This renewal secures an additional contract backlog of approximately EUR 84 million, building on the EUR 90 million capacity agreement signed between the two companies in 2021, with contract durations up to end 2028.
With this renewal, Sky UK will continue to leverage the Ku-band capacity at SES’s prime neighbourhood at 28.2/28.5 degrees East to deliver TV channels in standard definition (SD), high definition (HD) and ultra-high definition (UHD) to their subscribers. 28.2/28.5 degrees East is one of SES’s prime TV neighbourhoods reaching more than 18 million TV homes in the UK and Ireland.
“We have a strong, long-term partnership with SES and are pleased to extend that further with this agreement. Satellite delivery has been the foundation of our TV business and it will continue to play an important role in our future,” said Patrick Behar, Chief Business Officer at Sky.
Partners
“Having been partners with Sky UK for almost four decades, this new multi-year, multi-transponder renewal underscores the importance of satellite in delivering premium viewing experiences amid the evolving TV landscape,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.
“As Europe’s leading media and entertainment company, Sky remains the thought-leader in our industry and we are excited to continue to support Sky in their mission to deliver the very best content at the highest levels of quality and reliability, reaching millions of subscribers sustainably and cost effectively.”
SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world.
As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system.
By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries almost 8,400 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 366 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges.
LOS ANGELES: The summer movie season is off to a blockbuster start thanks to “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” The superhero extravaganza grossed an estimated $185 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in US and Canadian theaters, the Walt Disney Co said Sunday.
Not only did it more than double the opening of the first “Doctor Strange,” which opened to $85 million in 2016, it’s also the biggest opener of the year, ahead of “The Batman’s” $134 million; the second biggest of the pandemic, behind “Spider-Man: Far From Home’s” $260.1 million; and the sixth biggest of all time globally.
Internationally, it’s doing even better with an estimated $265 million since opening Wednesday. In total, “Doctor Strange 2” has already made $450 million.
Spider-Man is at least partially to thank for the massive debut. Benedict Cumberbatch’s powerful sorcerer appeared prominently in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which has become the third biggest movie of all time since opening in December. “Doctor Strange 2” picks up several months after the events of “No Way Home,” and brings in Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff, who became even more popular thanks to the recent Disney+ series “WandaVision.”
The film also has a gigantic footprint. It’s playing in 4,534 theaters in the US and Canada alone, which according to Disney is the seventh widest opening ever. Premium format screens, including IMAX and 3D, accounted for 36% of the overall box office.
“Summer blockbuster season is off to a roaring start with ‘Doctor Strange’ — an excellent sign for the phenomenal slate ahead,” Rich Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX, said in a statement.
Hollywood’s summer movie season typically kicks off in early May and runs through the end of August and — aside from the last two years — regularly accounts for over $4 billion in ticket sales (or about 40% of the year’s grosses).
Sam Raimi stepped up to direct “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which reportedly cost around $200 million to make — though that number doesn’t account for the many more millions spent on marketing and promotion.
Over the weekend, the film has trended on social media for everything from its many cameos to a spirited debate over its PG-13 rating and whether or not the horror elements warranted something more restrictive.
“This is a total win for the industry for whom the last two summers almost didn’t exist in terms of box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “Marvel has been kicking off summers for over a decade. This is a return to normalcy.”
There was little left for other movies playing in theaters. Part of that is due to the fact that many multiplexes chose to pack their theaters with wall-to-wall “Doctor Strange” screenings. Film Critic Matt Singer tweeted a photo a Manhattan AMC offering 70 screenings on Thursday alone.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys” fell to second place in its third weekend with an estimated $9.8 million, while “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” from Paramount, landed in third with $6.2 million.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” took fourth with $3.9 million, bringing its domestic total to $86 million. And in fifth place was another multiversethemed film, “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” (AP)