One of the largest digital cinema distribution networks in the United States has completed a significant infrastructure upgrade. The Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition (DCDC) and Hughes Network Systems have modernized satellite equipment at more than 1,600 cinema locations, increasing transmission capacity and extending the useful life of a network that delivers theatrical content to exhibitors nationwide.

The ten-month project, carried out between September 2025 and June 2026, involved replacing aging equipment and expanding satellite capacity. It concluded on 30 June with the retirement of legacy transponder infrastructure that had served the network for more than a decade. Hard to believe it’s been nine years since we interviewed DCDC’s first CEO Randy Blotky.

The modernization comes as DCDC continues expanding its terrestrial broadband delivery capabilities alongside its satellite network. Together, the systems handle everything from feature films and trailers to event cinema and other specialized programming. For exhibitors and distributors, the investment is less about introducing a new service than ensuring the existing one can accommodate increasing delivery volumes and a more varied theatrical programming landscape (like live events). In October 2025 alone, DCDC delivered nearly 60,000 digital cinema packages to almost 33,000 screens across the United States.