Research
StarzPlay leads MENA
SVoD market
StarzPlay, the SVoD service
in the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA), has
been ranked as the region’s
leading platform in terms of
subscriptions for the second
consecutive year, according to
the IHS Markit Pay TV & Online
Video Report MENA 2019.
StarzPlay has successfully
retained its lead position with
29% market share in terms of
subscriptions. On the revenue
front as well, StarzPlay is
joint market leader with 32%
market share. A combination
of exclusive content and the
company’s ability to secure
deals from telecom operators
and device manufacturers
regionally has enabled it to
grow in the region.
Maaz Sheikh, CEO and
co-founder at StarzPlay, said:
“Our performance underlines
the success of our strategy
which has been threefold
with a focus on content, the
user experience and range
of convenient payment
options that are tailored
to local market needs. It’s
been a remarkable journey
since our inception five years
ago, and we look forward to
continuing to drive value in
2019 and beyond as we link
up with regional
telecoms operators
and brands in the
entertainment
space to help us
remain one step
ahead. As we
continue to expand
geographically,
Saudi Arabia will
undoubtedly
remain a major
focus as the largest
market in terms of
subscription and
revenue growth potential.
Moving forward we will
continue to focus on acquiring
locally relevant and popular TV
shows and movies.”
Mobile tech & services
add $191bn a year to
MENA economy
The GSMA released two new
reports at the
annual GSMA
Mobile 360 – MENA
event in Dubai.
These reports
highlight the
positive economic
impact of the
mobile ecosystem
on markets across
the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA)
region, as well as
the transformative
impact of IoT
technologies
on regional
governments’ strategic
national visions.
The two reports – The
Mobile Economy: Middle
East and North Africa 2019,
and Realising the potential
of IoT in MENA reveal that
mobile technologies and
services added $191 billion
(€173.5bn) to the region’s
economy in 2018 – equivalent
to about 4.5% of regional GDP.
By 2023, mobile’s economic
contribution is forecast to
reach more than $220 billion
as countries increasingly
benefit from the improvements
in productivity and efficiency
brought about by the
increased uptake of mobile
services, and 5G and IoT
networks are widely deployed.
To date, 12 operators
have launched commercial
5G services in five Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC)
Arab States. Mobile operators
in these countries are aiming
to be global leaders in 5G
deployments, supporting
the digital transformation
ambitions outlined in strategic
16 EUROMEDIA MENA Special
national visions such as UAE
Vision 2021 and Saudi Vision
2030.
Meanwhile, IoT connections
in the MENA region are
growing at a rate second
only to Asia-Pacific. There are
forecast to be 470 million 2019 and 2024; this is a
notable achievement given the
decline in ASPU, according to a
report, Pay TV and OTT video
in the Middle East and North
Africa: trends and forecasts
2019–2024, from Analysys
Mason.
IoT connections in MENA
by the end of 2019, rising
to 1.1 billion by 2025. The
deployment of IoT across
MENA is expected to add $18
billion to regional GDP by
2025.
“Backed by proactive
government support, mobile
operators, particularly in the
GCC Arab States, have speedily
deployed 5G technology,”
said Mats Granryd, director
general of the GSMA. “Beyond
the GCC, the wider
MENA region has
an opportunity
to benefit from
the technological
developments
delivered by 5G
and IoT. To fully
embrace those
benefits the region’s
governments must
support regulatory
frameworks and
policies that ensure
5G flourishes,
including making sufficient
spectrum available.” Meanwhile, the firm
also forecasts that the total
telecoms service revenue in
the region will reach $65.4
billion in 2024, up from
$62.0 billion in 2018. Fixed
broadband revenue will grow
at a CAGR of 4.9% between
2018 and 2024, driven by NGA
investments.
Pay-TV and telecoms
revenue growth
forecast
Retail revenue for TV and video
services delivered by pay-TV
providers and operators in
MENA will grow by 7% between
MENA cinema industry
set for 74% growth
Although accounting for a
mere 1% of the world’s digital
cinema screens, the MENA
region represents one of the
world’s fastest-growing areas
for the medium, with local
exhibitors dominating the
scene.
With a screen base that had
already expanded by more
than 60% to 1,900 from 2015
to 2019, MENA will grow at an
even more formidable rate in
the next four years, increasing
its screen base by another
1,400 units, up an astounding
74%, according to research
firm Omdia.
All told, box office receipts
in MENA during 2019 ranged
between $550m and $600m,
and a twofold increase is
projected to occur from
2019 to 2023, thanks to the
booming cinema industry in
Saudi Arabia.