New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite communications company, and The Blackstone Group, a leading private investment firm, announced today that they have received early termination of the required waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 for Blackstone’s acquisition of New Skies.

Under Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR), New Skies and Blackstone were required to make a pre-closing filing with the U.S. competition authorities demonstrating that their proposed transaction would not violate U.S. anti-trust laws. They were precluded from closing the transaction until the "waiting period" set forth in the Act expired or the U.S. authorities agreed to grant early termination. Having now completed the HSR process, an important precondition to closing the Blackstone/New Skies transaction has been fulfilled.

New Skies announced June 6 that it had signed a definitive agreement for the sale of the Company to affiliates of The Blackstone Group. The transaction has the unanimous approval of New Skies’ Supervisory and Management Boards who will recommend it to the Company’s shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders on July 19.