Photo: Eutelsat/Shutterstock

Eutelsat has won a new broadcast capacity deal in the U.S. Orby Elevate has selected the Eutelsat 117 West A satellite for the distribution of its first major mainstream English language direct-to-home TV services in the United States. The two companies announced the deal May 25.

Orby Elevate plans to offer a mix of secular and religious video services to U.S.-based customers.

Located at 116.8 degrees West, Eutelsat 117 West A provides hemi coverage in both C- and Ku-band, as well as high-power regional coverage in Ku-band over North and South America. This satellite currently distributes over 300 TV channels. It caters to over 5,000 DTH antennas receiving channels in Ku-band as well as 14,000 antennas installed in C-band for government connectivity projects.

“It is a great opportunity to leverage the already existing infrastructure developed by the original iteration of Orby and the great coverage of the powerful Eutelsat 117 West A satellite into a platform that allows family-friendly content to reach homes nationwide and at a reasonable cost,” Ricardo Dias, Orby Elevate interim CEO, said in a statement.