SES Astra signed a transponder contract with British commercial TV broadcaster Five, SES Astra announced Sept. 26.

The broadcaster will initially take half of a transponder at the orbital position 28.2 degrees E and ramp up to a full transponder in the second half of 2007. The additional capacity will primarily be used for the company’s two new channels, Five Life and Five US, which are scheduled to be launched in October.

Five attracts approximately 30 million viewers a week and generates more than 300 million British pounds ($568.6 million) in advertising revenue a year. The company is owned by Europe’s largest broadcaster, the RTL Group, which operates 34 TV and 34 radio stations across Europe.