SKY MEXICO-1 (SKYM-1): Satellite Built by Orbital Sciences for Sky Mexico’s Pay-TV Services

Overview
Orbital Sciences Corporation was selected by DIRECTV to design and manufacture SKY MEXICO-1 (SKYM-1), a geostationary communications satellite built on Orbital’s proven GeoStar-2 platform. The satellite was assembled and tested at Orbital’s satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia.

Positioned at 78.8° West longitude, SKYM-1 delivers Direct-to-Home (DTH) television services across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. The satellite is equipped with:

• 24 active Ku-band transponders

• 2 active R-band transponders

• 5.0 kilowatts of payload electrical power

About Sky México
Sky México is a major subscription television provider in Mexico and the broader Latin American region. Operated under the legal entity Corporación Novavisión S. de R.L. de C.V., the company is a subsidiary of Grupo Televisa. It produces original TV content and owns multiple channels, serving customers in Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic.

As of 2022, Sky México held a 59% share of the subscription TV market in Mexico, making it one of the leading pay-TV providers in the region.

Company History and Ownership Evolution
Founded on July 25, 1996, Sky México began as a joint venture between:

• British Sky Broadcasting (Sky)

• News Corporation

• Liberty Media

• Grupo Televisa

The service officially launched on December 15, 1996. Over the following decade, most Sky-branded operations in Latin America rebranded under DirecTV, except for Mexico and Brazil. These markets were absorbed into the DirecTV structure in 2005 but retained the Sky brand identity.

A 2004 merger reshaped ownership:

• Televisa’s share decreased from 60% to 57%

• News Corporation increased its share from 30% to 43%

• Liberty Global’s 10% stake was split between the two remaining partners

Sky Mexico faced operational losses starting with the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The company also operated a print magazine division (SkyView and Sky Premiere), which became defunct or was discontinued by 2016.

AT&T Divestment and Market Consolidation (2024)
In 2024, AT&T divested its 58.7% stake in Sky Mexico to Grupo Televisa, pending regulatory approval. This marked a major consolidation in the Mexican broadcasting market, reinforcing Televisa’s dominance in the satellite TV sector.

This strategic move enabled content integration between Sky and Televisa’s cable brand Izzi. Starting August 15, 2024, premium content such as UEFA Euro 2024, previously exclusive to Sky Sports, became available on Izzi platforms—further transforming the competitive media landscape in Mexico.