12 essential Satellite TV facts you need to know

Did you know that Satellite TV appeared nearly 60 years ago with the first live broadcast on July 12^th, 1962 ? Plus, it’s still one of the main ways to watch content all over the world.

But, after 60 years, everything hasn’t been said about satellite TV. There is always new things to learn.

If you have an OTT channel and were thinking about migrating to satellite, or just having second thoughts about Satellite TV, those 12 facts might help you see things clearer !

A few global numbers to get you started

#1 Satellite TV is here to stay and guess what: on a worldwide scale, it will keep growing for the foreseeable future and should reach an all-time high in 2025 with 460 million households. [Source: Digital TV Europe]

#2 And it’s getting even better if you consider FTA[1] satellite, as it will grow from 218 to 244 million households while satellite pay-TV stays fla²t. Believe it or not, Satellite TV still has the biggest market share in the broadcast industry. [Source: Digital TV Europe]

#3 Satellite TV saw its revenue slowly decrease since 2015, going from $97.7bn dollars to $92bn in 2019 [Source: Sia.org]. The market has seen revenues rise again. Since the pandemic, our habits changed due to this global crisis, but mostly our screen habits. As our lives changed, studies show that we watch more content on the telly!  (Source: Grand View Research, April 2020)

Americas

#4 In 2020, 5G started to use C-band spectrum 3.4 – 3.8GHz bands in Asia and Europe. In America, the 5G transition is ongoing and will liberate part of the spectrum step by step. So? Does it mean there’s nothing to do with satellite where there is 5G? Come on! Of course no: Band Ku, Band Ka are here to stay and we can provide relevant alternatives.

#5 There’s more satellite TV subscriptions in Latin America than in North America: 28 million subscribers against 24.5. The country with the most satellite TV subscriptions is Mexico with 12.4 million, then in second place comes Brazil with 8.15 million subscriptions. There’s quite a potential indeed concerning Latin America. (source: Idate )

Middle East & Africa

#6 In MENA, satellite TV remains the leader in terms of satellite TV revenues. Revenue nearly doubled from 2010 until today: $2.697bn against $1.67bn in 2010. (Source: SatelliteMarket.com)

#7 Satellite TV penetration is growing across Africa. Indeed, HD displays are becoming more and more popular: they can already be found in 50% of Ghanaian and Nigerian households. (source: Broadband TV news )

#8 Africa will soon have over 47 million pay-TV subscribers by 2025. In Nigeria for example, satellite TV was used by 11.8 million households in 2019, a 23% increase compared to 2017, and a further 4.7 million in Ghana, up by 19% from 2017. (Source 1 and 2 ).

Europe : Satellite TV is not growing in Europe, that’s a fact. Still…

#9 DTH[i] satellite remains the most used TV reception method in Germany with 45.6%  of households in the country having DTH service. (Source: Broadband Tv news)

#10 Last year we saw in Russia that cable accounted for 41% of subscribers with satellite TV claiming 38% and IPTV 21%. The IPTV subscriber total grew by 10% in 2019, while satellite TV saw an increase of 1.1% and cable a reduction of 1.1%. (Source: BroadbandTV News)

Asia

#11 Asia has the biggest pay-TV satellite base with 101 million of subscribers in 2020 and it should grow up to 113 million by the end of 2024. (Source: Idate )

#12 Although internet is spreading all over the world, it hasn’t overtook Satellite TV in Asia. Asian are really attached to their shows such as drama or humoristic shows. One proof? The Spring Gala remains the most watched tv show in the world !! Even more than the Superbowl !!!

Throughout all these numbers and facts, we hope we have helped you see things clearer, and that we convinced you that Satellite TV has taken a brand new breath and is still a secure way to diffuse your content without any doubt or fear.

If you need any help or further information, we are here to help you.

[1] “Free To Air” by opposition to encrypted channel.

[i]  “Direct to home (DTH)”