Pay-TV revenues for 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are set to fall by 38% between the peak year of 2016 ($3.84 billion) and 2027 ($2.39 billion).
Commenting on the findings of the latest report by Digital TV Research, the company’s principal analyst Simon Murray said: “Pay-TV has never had an easy ride the MENA region. First was the battle with widespread piracy. Next the Saudi government and others banned beIN for four years. Traditional pay-TV subscribers are now converting to SVOD platforms”.
Pay-TV revenues for the 13 Arabic-speaking countries will be $915 million by 2027, down from $1,571 million in 2016. Meanwhile, pay-TV subscriber numbers will fall from 3.70 million to 3.14 million over the same period.
Turkish pay-TV revenues will reach $722 million in 2027, $188 million lower than in 2016. However, the number of pay-TV subscribers will grow from 5.92 million in 2016 to 8.25 million in 2027 – so subscribers are paying less.
Cord-cutting in Israel will see 46% of its pay-TV subs lost between 2014 to 2027. Pay-TV revenues will fall from $1.15 billion to $437 million over the same period.
For more information on the Middle East and North Africa Pay TV Forecasts report, please contact: Simon Murray, simon@digitaltvresearch.com, Tel: +44 20 8248 5051
