Middle East and Africa TV (8th Edition)

Summary

By 2016, around 80% of homes in the Middle East and North Africa region will have multichannel TV. This significant penetration rate highlights the rich prospects for growth developing in the region. Sub-Saharan Africa’s 800 million TV households are also offering important new opportunities.

Overview

Satellite TV dominates the region’s TV sector, having a presence in more than 60% of MENA TV households. Some homes, particularly in the Gulf States, either have two dishes or a dual LNB (amplifier) to take signals from two satellites.

With satellite so dominant, there has been limited cable and IPTV activity. IPTV is now growing quickly, albeit from a very low base. However, despite some signs of progress, broadband penetration in the region remains low. IPTV is therefore restricted from making even greater progress, both by this lack of broadband penetration and also by the fact that where broadband is in place it is not always suitably robust to facilitate IPTV provision.

Regulatory and legislative factors continue to pose difficulties for the TV sector. The close relationship between the state and many broadcasters is often seen as having an inhibiting effect. Some media legislation, meanwhile, is out of date and often unable to deal with recent developments such as digital TV, the Internet, mobile TV and IPTV.

One of the big positives for the region is that the youthful demographic skew in many countries minimizes barriers to the acceptance of new technologies. This mindset will help promote demand for important concepts such as convergence and technological upgrading.

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