ARD And ZDF Secure HD Capacity On ASTRA

Total of five transponders contracted on a long-term basis

Luxembourg - SES ASTRA, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), announced today that it has concluded a multi-transponder, multi-year agreement with the German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF to secure satellite capacity for the transmission of High Definition (HD) programmes. The long-term agreement is for a total of five transponders on ASTRA’s prime orbital position 19.2 degrees East. The capacity will be brought into use in two steps, starting with three transponders in May 2012, immediately after the termination of ARD/ZDF’s analogue transmissions, followed by two more transponders in January 2014. The formal approval of the agreement will follow the still outstanding endorsement by one of the regional broadcasters which is member of the ARD. Further details of the switch and the programming line-up will be communicated by the broadcasters.

Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA, said: “The broad introduction of HD by the public broadcasters in Germany is an important driver of the digitalisation of satellite television reception. It enhances the increasingly important role of television as the leading entertainment and information medium and recognises satellite’s capabilities as the leading digital infrastructure for TV broadcasting. The introduction of further HD programmes is generating additional consumer demand for digital reception equipment and is stimulating the industry at all levels.”

About SES ASTRA

SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 16 satellites which deliver services to more than 125 million households and transmit more than 2,600 television and radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia, internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments and their agencies. With 190 High Definition (HD) channels, ASTRA is the most important HDTV platform for Europe’s leading broadcasters. The orbital positions for SES ASTRA are 19.2 degrees East, 28.2 degrees East, 23.5 degrees East, 5 degrees East and 31.5 degrees East. For further information: www.ses-astra.com.

About SES

SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES, and participations in Ciel in Canada, QuetzSat in Mexico as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 44 satellites. For further information: www.ses.com.