Seven trends from CABSAT 2016CABSAT 2016 is one of the biggest dates in the Pay-TV industry calendar, with some of the most influential names in the industry taking to the stage to share their insights.
As you may have seen from our blog post earlier in the week, our team have been in Dubai sharing their insights from the ground and during the event it became very evident to us that there were a number of key themes being discussed by the key speakers. Here's our round-up of the seven biggest trends from CABSAT 2016:
Trend 1 Content is king, but brand and experience are the QueensThe concept of the Pay-TV Battleground' was referenced by a number of speakers at CABSAT, and it's something that Paywizard has been studying in detail in recent months.
Providers are having to work harder to keep customers, as the market is increasingly saturated and ultra competitive.
Customers simply aren't loyal to one provider, and it has generally been accepted that it is content that drives them to sign up for services. However Christophe Firth, an analyst at AT Kearney, highlighted that in today's battleground Content is King but brand and experience are the Queens'.
Christophe describes this concept as a triangle. Providers focus on content to drive customers to sign up, yet building a good brand and customer experience for those engaging with the content are now hugely important too. Those are the three critical angles and you need each one to achieve success.
Trend 2 The traditional linear TV model isn't deadWithin the media industry many consider the emergence of global pay TV to be the death of traditional TV, but during CABSAT it became very clear that this isn't the case.
Dreamworks' Eric Ellenbogen and David Butorac, CEO of pay TV operator OSN, both commented that traditional TV channels will still have a huge role to play, even in the age of video on demand.
They argued that linear networks are far from finished, with Ellenbogen referring to the launch of the 24-hour Dreamworks channel as an indication of how much they believe in it, and he stated that one technology does not actually change or replace another, they just have a new role in the world. Traditional channels won't disappear because they'll become the cornerstone of content discovery.
This view was echoed in a State of the Industry report from Frost & Sullivan Although the Pay TV market is ready for disruption across MENA, the 1,000 free to air channels in the region are still going strong and this in turn is weakening paid penetration levels.
TV then both paid and free to air has a significant role to play. As Ellenbogen summarised, it is still going strong and has credibility.
Trend 3 Pay TV providers need to adapt subscription modelsIn our previous CABSAT round-up, we described how Frost & Sullivan reaffirmed the opportunities in the MENA region, while identifying that operators are facing challenges breaking into the markets.
Supporting this, on day two Netflix described in detail the difficulties they are experiencing, citing low credit card penetration across the region as one of their biggest commercial issues. Put simply, they can't accept customer payments because the technology isn't there.
It's a perfect case study for Frost and Sullivan's report, which predicted that 40 per cent of global consumption will be OTT by 2020, but with a strong caveat that we will need the technology to work. This includes payment infrastructures where subscription models can adapt to the infrastructure and technology available ensuring that customers, no matter their location, experience a seamless service. There's plenty of work to be done, it seems.
Trend 4 Pricing plays an important role in breaking into MENAAnother insight from the Frost and Sullivan report was the idea that in MENA free to air channels are highly competitive, unlike other markets such as the USA where such rivalry rarely exists.
Their study concluded that there are 1,000 free to air channels in the region, the vast majority of which are strongly supported. This in turn is weakening paid TV penetration levels. It demonstrates how important the cost of TV is in the MENA market. With so many free options, pricing is key to ensuring services are accessible to everyone.
Trend 5 Netflix is here to stayFollowing Netflix's global rollout announcement at CES earlier in the year, it came as no surprise that the company was at the centre of a lot of discussion at CABSAT as the poster child of global Pay-TV providers.
They lead the way for many providers and as Frost and Sullivan's report stated, everyone constantly refers back to Netflix for content and pricing direction. The company has been facing content licensing issues in MENA and has cracked down on VPN users.
The implications of their growth on the wider industry was a topic was a hot topic at CABSAT but as David Amodio from Channel 4 disclosed, we shouldn't assume that Netflix will go away, and we certainly shouldn't run away from it either. As part of his address he announced that Channel 4 will collaborate with Netflix for content in future.
As the old adage goes, If you can't beat them, join them , and it seems as though some traditional operators have already accepted that they can use Netflix and VOD to add value for their audience.
Trend 6 Children's content is driving non linear TVThroughout the event, younger audiences were a common theme and Butorac was one of the many speakers who stated that there is huge potential for growth from young content'.
The statistics speak for themselves, as around 38 per cent of the MENA population is aged 15-34, and operators are now consciously tailoring services for a younger audience in a bid to increase revenues.
Ellenbogen explained how kids have par
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...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Seven trends from CABSAT 2016CABSAT 2016 is one of the biggest dates in the Pay-TV industry calendar, with some of the most influential names in the industry taking to the stage to share their insights.
