Pay TV soars in MENA

Pay TV revenues in the Middle East and North Africa have rocketed by more than US$180m over the past year, according to research.

A report out today found revenues jumped from €702m (US$761m) in 2013 to €873m in 2014 and that ‘primary’ pay TV households rose from 4.3 million to 4.8 million over the same period.

The figures were revealed in Middle East & North Africa Pay TV Market Monitor, compiled by research group IHS, which also forecasted that between 2015 and 2019, MENA’s pay TV growth will be five times faster than that of the US, UK, Germany, France and Italy.

Numerous channels have launched in the region over the past 12 months, including Discovery Networks International’s TLC and localised versions of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, while ITV-owned prodco Talpa Media opened a MENA-focused arm in October.

Constantinos Papavassilopoulos, senior analyst at IHS Technology, said the results suggested the region “represents huge opportunities for investors. If we look at the demographics alone, more than 60% of the population is under 35, they are media-literate and have developed international tastes in TV content.”

Strong anti-piracy legislation and improved communications infrastructure drove the growth, with IHS expecting pay TV revenues of €1.7bn in the region by 2019.