Middle East and North Africa Pay TV Forecasts

Pay TV revenues for the 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region fell by 12% between 2016 and 2019 to just under $3 billion. Given the hangover from the beIN ban and generally falling ARPUs, revenues in 2025 ($2.81 billion) will still be lower than in 2019.

For the 13 Arabic-speaking countries, pay TV revenues fell by 15% from $1,241 million in 2016 to $1,053 million in 2019. However, the total will recover to reach $1,269 million by 2025. Pay TV subscriptions fell by 5% between 2016 and 2019 to 3.58 million, but will progress to 4.71 million by 2025.

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “The ongoing ban on beIN in most Arab-speaking countries is adversely affecting the whole sector. Even when the ban is lifted, we believe that an unofficial ban will remain. As beIN suffers, it is reducing its expenditure on top events - thus making it less attractive to potential subscribers.”

Table of Contents

Published in January 2020, this 182-page PDF and excel report is our ninth edition. The report comes in three parts:

• Outlook: Forecasts for 20 countries in a 45-page PowerPoint document full of charts, graphs and bullet points;

• Excel workbook covering each year from 2010 to 2025 for 20 countries by household penetration, by pay TV subscribers, by pay TV revenues and by major operator. As well as summary tables by country and by platform;

• Insight: Detailed country-by-country analysis in a 57-page PDF document.

Forecasts for the following 20 countries and 49 platforms: