According to the report, Turkey and Israel together will supply nearly half of the 2029 total.
MENA’s pay-TV revenues will fall by $1.6bn between peak year 2016 and 2029, according to the latest report by Digital TV Research. The primary contributing factors to this decline include the increasing influence of Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and the rampant issue of piracy.
Despite a growth in pay-TV subscribers by 3m over the same period, reaching a total of 18m, the overall pay-TV revenues for the 20 MENA countries are anticipated to fall by 43% from $3.8bn in 2016 to $2.2bn in 2029. This decline is expected to result in a reduction in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).
Surprisingly, 13 out of the 20 countries are projected to experience revenue losses between 2023 and 2029. Turkey and Israel are predicted to contribute nearly half of the total pay-TV revenues for 2029.
The outlook for pay-TV revenues in the 13 Arabic-speaking countries is particularly noteworthy, with a projected total of $802m by 2029—half of the $1,570m recorded in 2016. Turkish revenues are expected to reach $707m in 2029, reflecting a $203m decrease from 2016. Meanwhile, pay-TV revenues in Israel are poised to drop from $1.14bn to $376m over the same period.
Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Legitimate pay-TV penetration has always been low in most MENA countries, but the decline is accelerating as pay-TV subscribers convert to OTT platforms.”
