coverstory_cover story 26/02/2015 10:23 Page 5
years, and at the end of 2013, 4.3m
households were subscribing to at least one
pay-TV service. Satellite remains the main
form of reception, with the growing
importance of the former Al-Jazeera sports
bundle (now called beIN Sports) forming a
virtual market duopoly with long-established
OSN (Orbit-Showtime Network).
Papavassilopoulos states that IPTV in the
region is also “developing
rapidly” with a high
uptake of IPTV triple
play services in
the Gulf States.
However,
satellite
remains the
primary
method of
reception
for more
than 90% of
TV
households.
But IHS also
states bluntly
that it is piracy and
the widespread free
multichannel broadcasts
(about 650 channels) that hamper
pay-TV’s growth.
IHS says that last year was an eventful
one for pay-TV in the MENA region. The
market grew again as it has for eight out of
the past 10 years, with 2013’s growth up
11.2% in terms of market share and 14.13%
in subscriber numbers. As at December
2013, some 4.3m homes were subscribing.
Just three years ago that number was barely
half this, and in 2004 it was one quarter.
Taking the 10-year period as a whole then
pay-TV has grown at an average rate of
14.64%. Last year’s numbers were boosted
by “an impressive growth” from OSN as well
as a high take-up of IPTV services.
ACQUISITIONS. OSN is steaming ahead,
largely because of growth through
acquisitions and developing new markets.
Between Q4/2012 and Q4/2013, OSN’s
subscriber base increased by around 20.7%.
IPTV uptake was largest in the UAE and
Qatar. In the UAE, IPTV-based pay-TV is
the dominant method accounting for a
70.82% market share, followed by DTH
satellite with 29.18%. In Qatar the
country’s Ooredoo IP