Media Broadcast Satellite

What Media Broadcast Satellite does

Media Broadcast Satellite (MBS) is a German satellite communications company and teleport operator headquartered in Usingen, with roots tracing to a 1955 shortwave station and its 1979 teleport launch. The company was reorganized as an independent GmbH in 2016 and became owner-managed following a 2019 Management Buyout; it has been governed since by three Managing Directors (Sven Sünberg — marketing, sales, innovations; Qi Zhang-Holste — technical operations; Christian Fleischhauer — finance and HR). The group operates Germany, France/Monaco (Sonema, acquired 2023), and Poland (TTComm), employing approximately 300 people across the three geographies.

MBS's core technology is a multi-orbit satellite strategy spanning GEO, MEO, and LEO across VHF, UHF, S, C, X, Ku, and Ka bands, anchored by the Usingen teleport — Germany's largest with 135+ active antennas (4.2–19 m), a 2,100 m² TIER 3+ data center, direct fiber connection to the DE-CIX Frankfurt internet hub, and a 24/7 NOC delivering 99.99% availability. The product surface is organized around three verticals: Government/Defense/Intelligence (secure SATCOM, COTM/COTP, MAC II and NATO Secret-cleared operations via TTComm); Media (MBS Media Hub, managed playout, OTT streaming, Media Asset Management, Content Management System, reaching 230+ million home TVs); and Managed Gateways (end-to-end site acquisition through operations across Germany, Poland, and France plus partner sites). An AI-supported Teleport Management Support System (TMSS) provides monitoring and analytics, and a 2025 Innospace contract extends capabilities into responsive space and LEO deployment for 2026–2029.

The business model is managed services across four streams — SATCOM-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Managed Gateways, and Media Services — sold primarily via direct enterprise and government field sales with customized solutions and no publicly disclosed pricing. Reported turnover is €65 million for MBS GmbH Germany (2023) plus €18.7 million from Sonema (2023), implying a consolidated group near €83–85 million. Customer segments include government and defense agencies, TV broadcasters, telecom operators, and industrial enterprises across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, supported by ISO 27001:2022, ISO 9001:2015, MAC II, PCI-DSS, and NATO security certifications, and an average customer tenure of 16.2 years.

Name

Media Broadcast Satellite

Legal name

MBS GmbH

Website

https://mb-satellite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Media Broadcast Satellite (MBS) is a German teleport operator providing managed multi-orbit satellite communications, managed media playout and OTT, and managed gateway services to government, defense, broadcast, and enterprise customers across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Managed Satellite Teleport Services

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Satellite Telecommunications (51741), Satellite Telecommunications (517410)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Satellite Connectivity & Managed Services (VSAT, SD-WAN over Satcom) (HDAIAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

NTN-Enabled Emergency, Government & Defense Communications (Public Safety, Tactical, Resilience) (HDAIAJAJ), Defense Communications (Secure Radios, SATCOM Terminals, Crypto) (IMABAGAG)

Keywords

• Satellite communication services
• Managed teleport operations
• SATCOM infrastructure services
• Satellite gateway management
• Media broadcast transmission

Headquarters

HQ city

Usingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. SATCOM as a Service: Fully managed satellite communication solutions using multi-orbit strategy for flexible, scalable and resilient global connectivity. Customers access global connectivity without infrastructure investment, paying for managed services.
2. Infrastructure as a Service: Providing secure, reliable hosting solutions at the Usingen Teleport with over 135 active antennas and facilities built to data center standards. Redundant systems and 24/7 Network Operations Center with 99.99% availability.
3. Managed Gateway Services: Gateway site research, acquisition, design, construction, installation, and specialized support. End-to-end management of gateway facilities from single-site setups to global multi-site services.
4. Media Services: Managed playout solutions, OTT streaming, Media Asset Management, and Content Management System services for TV broadcasters and media companies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MBS operates one of Europe's largest independent satellite teleports in Usingen, Germany, providing managed satellite communication (SATCOM) services. Its core offerings include SATCOM as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, and three specialized solution lines: Government/Defense/Intelligence, Media, and Managed Gateways. The company supports multi-orbit (GEO/MEO/LEO) communications for enterprise, government, defense, and media clients worldwide.

Product overview

Media Broadcast Satellite (MBS) is a German satellite communications company operating Germany's largest teleport in Usingen with over 45 years of experience. The company offers a comprehensive suite of satellite-based communication solutions organized into three main solution verticals: Government/Defense/Intelligence, Media, and Managed Gateways. The core service portfolio includes SATCOM as a Service (multi-orbit managed satellite communications) and Infrastructure as a Service (facilities at the Usingen teleport with 135+ antennas and TIER 3+ data center). Media Solutions center around the MBS Media Hub platform which encompasses Managed Playout Solutions, OTT Streaming, Media Asset Management (MAM), and Content Management System for broadcast operations reaching over 230 million home TVs. The Managed Gateways solution provides global gateway services from MBS's own teleport infrastructures in Germany, Poland, and France. The company employs approximately 300 people across locations in Germany, France, and Poland, serving enterprise, government, and broadcast markets worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sonema: Subsidiary operating in France/Monaco with +18.7 M€ turnover, 66 employees, providing connectivity, IT-Hosting, and cybersecurity services to financial institutions, industrial groups, energy, mining, transport & logistics sectors.
• TTComm
• MBS Media Hub

Products and services

• SATCOM as a Service Managed satellite communication service delivered through MBS's teleport infrastructure, providing end-to-end uplink, downlink, capacity, and monitoring across multiple orbits for enterprise, government, defense, and media clients.
• Infrastructure as a Service Hosted infrastructure service providing customers access to MBS teleport facilities, antenna capacity, and operational support without owning their own ground infrastructure.
• Government / Defense / Intelligence Solutions Secure satellite communication solutions tailored for government, defense, and intelligence customers, leveraging MBS's MAC II and NATO clearances to support classified and mission-critical communications.
• Media Solutions Satellite-based content delivery and broadcast distribution services for television broadcasters, content distributors, and media companies, supporting contribution and distribution feeds over satellite.
• Managed Gateways Managed satellite gateway services where MBS hosts and operates ground gateway infrastructure on behalf of satellite operators and constellation providers, enabling multi-orbit (GEO/MEO/LEO) coverage and capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.99% availability sustained across all services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• InnospacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnospace signed a $5.8 million contract with Media Broadcast Satellite for two launch missions between 2026 and 2029. The rocket Hanbit-Nano was carrying five satellites for deployment into a 300-kilometer low orbit.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Telespazio: Telespazio is a European teleport operator and managed satellite services provider serving government, defense, and media customers. It is the closest direct peer to MBS, offering comparable teleport infrastructure, MILSATCOM/COMSATCOM services, and managed gateways across Italy and broader Europe.
• Signalhorn (formerly Signalhorn Trusted Networks): Signalhorn operates teleports in Germany and Switzerland providing managed satellite communications, government/defense connectivity, and enterprise VSAT services. It directly competes with MBS in the German-speaking European teleport and managed SATCOM market, particularly for defense and government workloads.
• Globecast: Globecast is a France-based teleport and managed media services operator providing content aggregation, playout, OTT, and satellite distribution to broadcasters globally. It directly mirrors MBS's Media vertical — particularly the MBS Media Hub playout/OTT/MAM stack — while also serving enterprise/government verticals.
• Arqiva: Arqiva is a UK-based broadcast and satellite infrastructure operator with teleport facilities, DTH platform services, and managed media distribution. It is a direct peer in MBS's Media vertical and also offers enterprise/government satellite services, competing in the broader European managed SATCOM market.
• CETel: CETel is a German teleport operator and managed satellite services provider serving enterprise, government, and maritime customers. It directly competes with MBS in German managed gateway and enterprise SATCOM services, with overlapping capabilities in VSAT, iDirect, and multi-orbit connectivity.

Broad incumbents

• SES S.A. SES is a major global satellite operator offering GEO and MEO (O3b) services, with significant managed services and media distribution capabilities. While SES owns satellite capacity rather than just teleports, its SES Networks and media businesses overlap directly with MBS's managed SATCOM and broadcast distribution offerings.
• Eutelsat Group: Eutelsat is a major European satellite operator providing GEO capacity and, post-OneWeb merger, LEO broadband services. It overlaps with MBS at the managed services and connectivity layer, and competes in broadcast distribution across Europe — particularly relevant as MBS already builds on OneWeb via TTComm.
• Viasat: Viasat is a global satellite communications company providing broadband, in-flight connectivity, and government/defense SATCOM. It competes with MBS at the managed services and government verticals, with overlapping multi-orbit strategy (post-Inmarsat acquisition) and significant European defense footprint.

Regional players

• Hispasat: Hispasat is a Spanish-language focused satellite operator providing capacity, managed services, and broadcast distribution across Iberia and Latin America. It is comparable to MBS's media and broadcast verticals and overlaps in enterprise/government SATCOM, though operating in a different primary geography (Ibero-American vs. DACH/EU).
• Axesat (now part of Telefónica): Axesat is a Latin American managed satellite services provider offering enterprise VSAT, managed connectivity, and gateway services. It overlaps with MBS's Managed Gateways and enterprise SATCOM offerings but operates in a different regional market (LATAM vs. EMEA).

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights3 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mb-satellite
• Facebookfacebook.com/MBSTeleport

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Media Broadcast Satellite