I asked a knowledgeable friend about this.
This is his reply:-
I am not 100% certain about the future of UK Satellite TV received here in Spain, but I think the article in a recent forum is guesswork. And certainly not correct.
I read that the company manufacturing the satellites bought by SES and rented out to Astra for use in carrying UK TV channels was under much pressure to provide a narrow transmission beam that would NOT spread over Europe and give a service to UK ex pats in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy etc. The narrow beam has been tested and does what was intended.
Each satellite has a finite life of around 15 years after launch when batteries would fail and more importantly the gas canisters used to nudge the satellite back into its intended position would run out. So the next satellite replacement will be the Astra 2G and a launch date of June was planned. Upon successful launch and proven transmission this would be used to transmit all the Sky BSB programmes and the old (current ) satellite will be retired. I doubt that this new satellite will be reprogrammed to handle the BBC and ITV channels.
Now here comes the important news- Sky may not want to lose more customers who “illegally” receive UK TV via their platform. They have already lost 45,000 customers since February where each was paying a monthly subscription of £21.50 or more. If the new satellite was to exclude us in Europe from getting any satellite signal carrying UK programmes the rest of the estimated 500,000 British viewers would leave. So a business decision has to be made by Sky (but they will not make it public) and I would like to think they will opt for a wide beam transmission. We can only wait and see.
Next there comes a new unexpected problem- the satellite has been ordered and already built in anticipation of a June launch but the Americans have placed a sanction on any items containing American parts from being used or launched from Russia in response to the Russian involvement in Crimea and the Ukraine. Thus there will be no launch of an Astra satellite in June. Furthermore there is no known new launch date. See the following article:
SANCTIONS BLOCK SATELLITE LAUNCHES
Following the unrest in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, the United States has tightened sanctions against Russia, by restricting export licences for US-made components in forthcoming satellites launches at Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome
A permit is required even if the satellite was manufactured in another country, and the lack of one will prevent a satellite being shipped to the launch site. The State Department first made its move in March, with a further tightening yesterday, revoking licences already granted. The restrictions prevent the shipment of any component which could "contribute to Russia's military capabilities", and will have a widespread effect on the satellite industry worldwide.
The British company Inmarsat will be badly hit, as will Luxembourg's SES, who were planning to launch Astra 2G in June.
Each proposed licence will be dealt with by the State Department on a "case by case" basis, which will lead to urgent lobbying in Washington by the satellite industry to quickly lift the ban.
Political tension in the region shows no sign of easing, with alternative launch facilities in other parts of the world fully booked for some time to come. The Americans are also trying to stop Ariane Space using Russian Proton rockets at its French Guiana launch site.
Baikonur is run by an American company, International Launch Services (ILS), and in a further twist of irony, sanctions do not apply to the International Space Station, as the Americans are completely dependent on Russia launchers to re-supply the mission.
This subject gets deeper each passing month. At present many ex pats desperate to keep in touch with the UK channels have reverted to the purchase of an IPTV system which depends on someone pirating UK TV channels, converting them to an internet web site and selling or renting a package of programmes to the IPTV companies here in Europe. The programme providers are called “middleware firms” It is believed that most of the middleware firms and also ones making the IPTV boxes such as Mag250 and Blade operate from within the Ukraine and that may not be a secure source if the Russians were to take over Ukraine. Another source of TV programmes used by IPTV companies and Cable TV companies is the American based company trading as Filmon and one currently in the spot light for probable legal jurisdiction in the USA. They may be closed down or made to pay fees when they will need to charge the end customer a subscription fee.
So where to go next?? Well in my opinion, just to remain a “Brit” and watch BBC, ITV, Channels 4 and five, plus those issued from Sky BSB you either purchase an IPTV box (and put up with the regular buffering of the signal) or get yourself one of the newer sky boxes named Sky + HD. This connects direct to a VPN Proxy router (which hides your actual address in Europe) then you can watch “TV on demand”, “catch up TV”. Unfortunately this system may close down if Sky satellite cannot be received in the future because the idea relies on the sky guide to see and select the live and recorded catch-up programmes.
The only certain way of receiving UK TV channels is to return to the UK!!!!