Sky Deutschland leases capacity for HD

German pay-TV operator Sky Deutschland has leased more satellite capacity from SES Astra and will use it to roll out more high definition channels.

News Corp-backed Sky has contracted three more transponders. The first will come into use next year and the other two in 2011 and 2012. Sky currently transmits seven HD channels and will launch four more in mid-2010, according to Hans-Jürgen Croissant, Sky’s senior vice-president, communications.