
Eutelsat takes the pulse of TV trends in Middle East and North Africa with latest edition of its TV Observatory:
Satellite surges 7% in one year to reach new milestone of 59 million homes, or 94% of total TV homes
Eutelsat/Nilesat 7/8 West neighbourhood first choice for multi-channel viewing: offering broadcasters access to 56.2 million homes, up 6% in 12 months
HD up 34% at 7/8 West with a penetration rate of 15%; 66% of homes watching channels from 7/8 West now HD-equipped
Dubai, Paris, 14 November 2017 - Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today presented the results of its industry-benchmark survey on TV trends across the Middle East and North Africa at the ASBU BroadcastPro Selevision Summit in Dubai.
Satellite: the preferred digital video infrastructure across Middle East and North Africa
Satellite TV reception in the MENA region has continued to increase its market-share compared to terrestrial and IPTV, and now reaches into 59 million homes. This represents 94% of the 62.2 million TV homes in 14 Arab-speaking countries, up from 92% only 12 months ago.
Eutelsat 7/8 West neighbourhood: first choice for multi-channel viewing
Eutelsat's 7/8 West neighbourhood has further reinforced its pole position, with reach into 56.2 million homes in 14 Arab countries,up 3.1 million homes in only one year. The attraction of 7/8 West for 95% of the satellite homes in the region is 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 High Definition content at 7/8 West, up 34% in 12 months to 179 channels (15% of channels).
10 million new HD-equipped homes in 12 months
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.
Michel Azibert, Eutelsat Chief Commercial and Development Officer, commented on the figures: Our 2017 survey confirms the dominance of satellite as the preferred digital infrastructure across the Middle East and North Africa and highlights key trends, notably the increasing significance of High Definition broadcasting. 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 HOTBIRD neighbourhood broadcasts almost 80 Arabic channels, making it a compelling neighbourhood for reaching into millions of homes across Europe as well as in the Middle East and North Africa.
About the Eutelsat TV Observatory
Eutelsat's TV Observatory is an extensive multi-national analysis of TV reception modes and trends carried in 51 audiovisual markets in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Working with IPSOS, new analysis was carried out in June-July 2017 via face-to-face interviews with over 4,000 consumers in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia that account for 70% of TV homes in the region. The study excludes hotels, public administration buildings, hospitality structures and other countries included in the 7/8 West footprint such as Mauritania, Sudan and Ethiopia.
About Eutelsat Communications
Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the worlds leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,600 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 32 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.
Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL).
For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com
Press
Vanessa O'Connor Tel: 33 1 53 98 37 91 voconnor@eutelsat.com
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: 33 1 53 98 37 91 mecuer@eutelsat.com
Investors and analysts
Joanna Darlington Tel. : 33 1 53 98 35 30 jdarlington@eutelsat.com
C dric Pugni Tel. : 33 1 53 98 35 30 cpugni@eutelsat.com
Follow us at:
Attached Files PDF document
Share this
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers and infrastructure builders, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across the full stack wit...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
14/07/2026
Victory+ telecasts to be simulcast on TEGNA-owned station, expanding free local distribution...
14/07/2026
Plug-ins for heavy music
Avalanche Tones is the brainchild of Ava Toton, a 17-year-old musician and developer who says her goal is to make the lives of gui...
14/07/2026
Launched alongside new Singer Showcase purchase model
IK Multimedia's innovative vocal-synthesis software has just gained its latest voice add-on, the R...
14/07/2026
Registration open until 1 September 2026
The MIDI Association have revealed that the registration deadline for this year's MIDI Innovation Awards has no...
14/07/2026
88-note model completes MK4 range
Novation have just introduced the final model in their flagship MIDI controller keyboard range, the Launchkey MK4 88. Roun...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
IBC2026 has unveiled a powerful Conference programme bringing together global media leaders, technology innovators, creators, sports organisations, broadcasters...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has delivered two highly capable outsid...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of the Nemotron Labs blog series, which exp...
14/07/2026
Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters
BroadcastBroadcast EquipmentLive StreamingBroadcast Studio2026
14 July Writ...
14/07/2026
Tuesday 14 July 2026
First look revealed for Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal ...
14/07/2026
When immersive audio dominates industry headlines, it's easy to assume that every broadcaster is preparing for an Atmos future. The reality is quite differ...
14/07/2026
Emma and Sophie from ICG's marketing team joined thousands of fellow marketers, brands and agencies at MAD//Fest London 2026, one of the UK's biggest ma...
14/07/2026
Why Trusted and Secure Media Operations Matter In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operati...
14/07/2026
Pilot Project Shows How Retailers Are Prepared for the Next Step in the Evolution of Digital Commerce
Arvato Systems Drives Agentic Commerce Forward
G terslo...
14/07/2026
As part of this commitment, weve joined the SME Climate Hub, publicly pledging to:
measure our greenhouse gas emissions
reduce them in line with a net zero p...
14/07/2026
Power is AI infrastructure's inescapable constraint. How many tokens an AI factory can generate within a fixed power budget determines its revenue and profi...
13/07/2026
The Braves opted to keep production in-house rather than hand it off to MLB...
13/07/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
13/07/2026
Eurovision Sport is making live athletics more accessible to fans than ever befo...
13/07/2026
The Milwaukee Bucks will return to full-season over-the-air television for the 2...
13/07/2026
SMPTE has announced an expanded education pathway for media technology professio...
13/07/2026
Vizrt has announced that its graphics technology was used by broadcast design agency Girraphic for Netflix's debut MVP MMA event, broadcast live from the In...
13/07/2026
ARRI has announced an agreement to sell its global rental activities in Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America to H2 Equity Partners through a management...
13/07/2026
DAZN has announced a partnership with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) to bring PBC fight nights to DAZN subscribers globally. The partnership begins Saturday, Ju...