American Forces Network

Digital Capability
Modernization

Executive Summary
FY2025–2026
FOUO
01

The Legacy Architecture

AFN previously operated three parallel distribution systems — two satellite networks and a streaming platform — anchored by a broadcast facility in Riverside, CA. Five separate cost lines. $29.6M per year.

AFN Legacy Construct — three-tier satellite and streaming distribution architecture
Riverside Facility
& Support
$4.0M
Annual facility ops cost
Broadcast Ops
Support Contract
$4.0M
Annual contract cost
DTH Satellite
Direct to Home
$5.7M
Annual contract cost
DTS Satellite
Direct to Sailor
$7.6M
Annual contract cost
Streaming
AFN Now + AFN Go
$8.3M
Annual contract cost
Total annual spend
current state
$29.6M
Five cost lines — four contracts, one facility
02

The Modernized Architecture

A cloud-based playout system at Fort Meade will replace Riverside and eliminate one satellite contract (DTH); the Navy takes ownership of the other (DTS). Four of five cost lines go to zero for AFN and WMA. Streaming continues unchanged.

AFN Modernized — cloud playout with streaming-only distribution
Streaming only
future state annual spend
$8.3M

Legacy hardware-based television production at Riverside is replaced by a state-of-the-art cloud playout system, with migration to Fort Meade targeted for completion by December 2026.

For DTS, AFN is collaborating with Navy NAVSEA Field Support in San Diego. Successful tests demonstrate the ability to receive unclassified transport streams via Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and the Global Broadcast System (GBS), converting them into digital cable channels for onboard distribution.

Closing — Target: December 2026
AFN Broadcast Center
Riverside, California
Facility operations $4.0M/yr
Broadcast ops support $4.0M/yr
Total facility cost $8.0M/yr
→
Absorbing functions
Cloud Operations
Fort Meade, Maryland
Hardware-based TV production replaced by cloud playout
All broadcast functions migrate to Fort Meade by December 2026
Operations managed by AFN team at Fort Meade
$8.0M in annual facility costs avoided
03

What Changes

Two cost avoidances — closing Riverside and divesting DTS to Navy — total approximately $16M annually. Both have already been absorbed by OSD Comptroller. On July 4, 2026, the network officially rebrands as the Armed Forces Network.

Current state
$29.6M
Per year — distribution + facility
  • DTH satellite contract ($5.7M)
  • DTS satellite contract ($7.6M)
  • Streaming — AFN Now + AFN Go ($8.3M)
  • AFN Broadcast Center, Riverside CA — facility ops ($4.0M)
  • Riverside broadcast ops support ($4.0M)
Modernized state
$8.3M
Per year — streaming only
  • AFN Now streaming video retained
  • AFN Go streaming radio retained
  • Cloud playout at Fort Meade managed by AFN team
  • Delivery via commercial ISPs
  • Riverside facility closed — zero facility costs
Annual cost avoidance
Facility avoidance
Riverside closure
$8.0M
AFN Broadcast Center, CA
Facility operations $4.0M
Broadcast ops support $4.0M
DTS divestiture
Navy NAVSEA ownership
~$8.0M
DTS contract transferred to Navy
DTS satellite contract $7.6M
Total cost avoidance
~$16M
Absorbed by OSD Comptroller
Close Riverside. Transfer DTS to Navy. Rebrand as the Armed Forces Network.

The ~$8.0M in facility avoidance comes from migrating broadcast production from Riverside to a cloud playout system at Fort Meade, replacing legacy hardware-based television production, with completion targeted for December 2026. The additional ~$8.0M comes from divesting the DTS architecture to Navy NAVSEA Field Support in San Diego, enabled by successful tests of unclassified transport stream delivery via Low Earth Orbit satellite and the Global Broadcast System (GBS) to ships at sea.

Both avoidances, totaling approximately $16M annually, have already been absorbed by OSD Comptroller. No audience capability is lost in either transition.

Contracts and facilities eliminated or transferred
ELIM DTH satellite contract — Direct to Home broadcast service ($5.7M)
XFER DTS satellite contract — transferred to Navy NAVSEA Field Support ($7.6M)
ELIM AFN Broadcast Center, Riverside CA — facility operations ($4.0M)
ELIM Riverside broadcast operations support contract ($4.0M)
Effective date
July 4, 2026
Official rebrand — cornerstone of modernization
American Forces Network → Armed Forces Network

As a cornerstone of this modernization, the network will officially rebrand from the American Forces Network to the Armed Forces Network on July 4, 2026.