coverstory_cover story 26/02/2014 18:20 Page 3
“Our objective is not simply to
attract high-profile movies but to
boost the amount they spend
here.”
Jamal Al Sharif,
Dubai Media City
Mid-East “ripe for
consolidation”
MBC’s commercial director Mazen
Hayek has suggested that the
Middle East television market is
due for “consolidation” with
several hundred channels
occupying a very small share of the
available advertising market.
“The top 15 channels in the region
account for something like 70 per cent
viewing share and audience share and
commercial revenue share. If you take
the top 50 channels, you’ll get to
something like 90 or 95 per cent
audience and commercial revenue share.
Which leaves you with 650 free-to-air
channels struggling for 5 per cent or 10
per cent max of the market,” said Hayek.
“This leads to the need for greater
consolidation, and probably mergers and
acquisitions. It’s impossible to leave that
huge number unless there are subsidies,
government support or personal agendas
meaning one is ready to just have a TV
channel and lose money for having it.”
Source: Digital TV Research
18 EUROMEDIA
a low-cost
West position to cope with increased
HDTV
demand, and a new satellite is being built for
service.
the location, scheduled for launch in 2015.
MyHD is
This new satellite will have what Eutelsat
charging
coyly describes as “enhancements” which are
the
specifically engineered to deliver a high
equivalent
degree of signal protection and thus aid the
of about $4.50 a month for its basic bundle
region’s fights against satellite jamming and
(which compares to the $60-$110 a month
signal interference. Nilesat itself is also
cost of OSN).
planning for further capacity in order to back
Arabsat is also aggressively spreading its
up its Nilesat 201 craft.
wings. In February 2013, Arabsat announced
But Cairo-based Nilesat, despite its
that it had bought Hellas-Sat for $208
popularity, has also suffered these past
million. That deal is now fully consolidated,
months. It (and Eutelsat) has had to cope
and it seems that Arabsat is looking for more
with deliberate signal jamming, with
expansion. In 2012 Arabsat’s name was
allegations from some quarters that it is
linked to Malaysia’s Measat (and a deal there
Egypt’s own government which is doing the
could still happen). Also on the sales
jamming at least as far as some
forecourt is Bermuda-based ABS, with
transmissions are concerned. Al Jazeera is
valuable Asian orbital assets.
Meanwhile, Arabsat continues
Brightcove opens Dubai office
to expand its fleet in readiness
for further MENA expansion,
Brightcove, a provider of cloud services for
both in pay-TV, HDTV and –
video, has announced the expansion of its
over time – Ultra-HDTV.
operations with the opening of its office in
FTA. Away from the challenges
Dubai. The Dubai office will serve as the central
of pay-TV, it remains true to
hub for Brightcove’s business development and
say that free-to-air
marketing efforts in the Middle East and
broadcasting remains
Northern Africa region. The new office will be
absolutely dominant. Nilesat,
headed by Brahim Laraiki, a sales leader who
for example, is now carrying the
has previously held positions with Orange,
best part of some 1,000 video
Lenovo and Microsoft. Laraiki will work under
and audio channels, and last
the direction of Sue Thexton, senior vice
summer, Nilesat’s European
president of EMEA.
‘partner’ Eutelsat placed extra
Brightcove is already working with a number
capacity at the 7-8 degrees
of major
media and
broadcast
organisations
in the region, including Al Jazeera, My Dubai My
City, Abu Dhabi Media and CNBC Africa.
“Since the company launched in 2004,
Brightcove has pursued strategic international
growth in order to keep pace with global
demand for premium online video distribution,
management and monetization services,”
Thexton said. “We are excited to open a new
office in the Middle East and look forward to
helping media organisations and brands across
the region make the most of their video assets
by increasing reach and driving more
engagement and advertising revenue.”