Dish TV Orders New Satellite from Maxar

Rendering of the EchoStar 25 satellite. Photo: Maxar Technologies

Dish Network Corporation placed an order for a new broadcast satellite from Maxar Technologies, the manufacturer announced Tuesday. The new broadcast satellite, designated ES XXV, will be based on the Maxar 1300 series Geostationary Orbit (GEO) platform, and deliver content across North America. 

This satellite will provide broadcast services across North America, refreshing the company’s aging fleet. Dish has not had a new broadcast satellite launch since Echostar 15 in 2010.

The company has shifted its strategy away from direct-to-home (DTH) broadcast in recent years, focusing on 5G, and getting into the streaming business with Sling TV. Dish TV ended 2022 with 7.4 million satellite TV subscribers after shedding about 800,000 subscribers over the year. 

Maxar has manufactured 11 satellites for Dish TV’s fleet, and the manufacturer said the deal shows the importance of GEO. The new comes after the company just announced a rebrand of its spacecraft portfolio. It is the operator’s first GEO order this year. 

“The GEO market remains important, and Maxar’s experience delivering value for our customers continues to be a key focus,” said Chris Johnson, Maxar’s senior vice president and general manager of Space. “We offer scalable platforms to support a variety of missions, and we’re proud to continue that legacy with this new order.”