We know that (most) broadcast satellites are capable of being operational far longer than their design life. Barring impact from a micro meteor or debris / onboard electronics failure the main reason for withrawal from service is depletion of onboard station keeping fuel.
Thhe MEV space tug concept has been successfully demonstrated twice now, there is no reason that it wont work just as successfully in the future. Thus SES could contract for 5 or 10 years lifetime extension quite easily for any of their spacecraft that are low on fuel but are otherwise healthy. With the forthcoming decline in satellite delivery of broadcast television services as its replaced by IP delivery there is currently little incentive for companies to spend millions of $ of shareholders money for multiple spacecraft that might never be fully utilised & therefore fail to make their build, launch & operational costs back.
IP delivery of everything is coming. Broadcasters are deperate to ditch linear transmission formate simply they have no real idea if any particular programme is popular with audiences. IP delivery means they can hoover up all that lovely data about EXACTLY what people are watching, how long its being watched, what programmes are doing well.
Or provide you properly tailored targetted advertising.
Or upsell premium services without having to share revenue with other companies.
Or of course just sell your watching & listening histories on to 3rd parties.
If you dont believe me just bear this in mind - the BBC knew details of what were the popular tv programmes on iplayer over the lucrative xmas & New year period for 2022 & 2023 by 4th January!
January 2023
EastEnders, Call the Midwife, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, The Traitors and Sam Ryder Rocks New Year's Eve topped the list of most watched programmes and on BBC Sounds, there were a record 57.7 million plays of all content between 20 December and 2 January, boosted by three new Miss...
www.bbc.co.uk
January 2024
Viewers flocked to BBC iPlayer during the Christmas week (December 25th-31st 2023) setting a new all-time iPlayer record. The week saw programmes streamed 177 m
advanced-television.com
That week saw programmes streamed a record-breaking 177m times
www.bbc.co.uk
That sort of level of data is literally priceless for commercial tv companies.