MENA Market Special 2018 MENA MARKET SPECIAL 2018 | Page 9

driven by an exceptional line-up of over 1,200
Arabic and international channels, with a high
diversity of free-to-air content and exclusivity
(55% of exclusive channels). This latest
audience growth also reflects the expanding
offer of HD content at 7/8° West, up 34% in 12
months to 179 channels (15% of channels).
NEIGHBOURHOOD. Interestingly, the
pace of adoption of HD is accelerating in the
MENA region, with HD-equipped homes now
reaching 28.2 million, up from 17.7 million in
12 months and representing 46% of TV homes.
This percentage is even more significant at the
Eutelsat/Nilesat 7/8° West neighbourhood
where 66% of homes own HD displays.
“Our 2017 survey confirms the dominance of
satellite as the preferred digital infrastructure
across the Middle East and North Africa
“We look forward to
accelerating the roll-out
of HD across the region,
and to preparing and
supporting our customers
for the introduction of
UHD.” – Omar Shoter,
Noorsat and highlights key trends, notably the
has continued to increase its market-share it a compelling neighbourhood for reaching
compared to terrestrial and IPTV, and now into millions of homes across Europe as well
reaches into 59 million homes. This represents as in the Middle East and North Africa.”
94% of the 62.2 million TV homes in 14
increasing significance of High Definition
broadcasting,” noted Michel Azibert, Eutelsat
chief commercial and development officer. “It
also confirms the 7/8° West neighbourhood as
the prime gateway for broadcasters, reaching
into over 56 million homes from Morocco to
the Gulf States. In addition to this capability,
our complementary ‘Hot Bird’ neighbourhood
broadcasts almost 80 Arabic channels, making
Noorsat says it is ready to move forward
Arab-speaking countries, up from 92% only 12 in its next stage of opening and developing
months prior. relationships in the Middle East. Shoter
Eutelsat’s 7/8° West neighbourhood has says he welcomes Eutelsat’s extended reach
further reinforced its pole position, with reach beyond the MENA and Gulf region, “but it’s
into 56.2 million homes in 14 Arab countries, not just about extending reach. Customers will
up 3.1 million homes in only one year. The benefit from the extra talent and additional
operator said that the attraction of 7/8° skillsets that Eutelsat offers as well as gain
West for 95% satellite homes in the region is access to the innovation that drives future
“Our 2017 survey
confirms the dominance of
satellite as the preferred
digital infrastructure
across the Middle East and
North Africa.” – Michel
Azibert, Eutelsat
services, ensuring we stay one-step ahead
technologically.”
DRIVE. Part of that extra drive is to tap
into the growing demand for HD services.
“Viewing trends across sophisticated MENA
broadcasting markets are evolving fast and, as
we go forward, we will embrace the transition
to High Definition (HD) TV that enables
broadcasters to differentiate their content,”
confirmed Shoter. “Screens across the region
are getting bigger and HD-ready, as they have
in other parts of the world. On these new,
larger screens, SD no longer provides the high-
quality viewing experience viewers expect.
We look forward to accelerating the roll-out
of HD across the region, and to preparing and
supporting our customers for the introduction
of UHD.”
Notwithstanding the problems it might have
had with its senior shareholder, MBC’s CEO
Sam Barnett delivered a robust statement
at the ASBU/Selevision Summit in Dubai a
week or so after the arrests, saying that not
only was MBC the undoubted market leading
broadcaster in the region – and the most
successful – but also that it would launch (in
December) “the region’s largest and safest”
VoD service for kids, along with its associated
Games portal, and that in 2018 it would be
commissioning and publishing its own Games
(which had already achieved 26 million unique
users during Ramadan).
MBC’s decision to shift its HDTV satellite
loyalty from the Nilesat/Eutelsat location of
7-8 degrees West, to Arabsat’s ‘hot spot’ at
26 degrees East was another strategic move
during the year. Dubai-based MBC continues
to innovate, and is expanding its in-house
Saudi Arabia has now permitted the opening of cinemas
productions. Its Turkey-based production
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