SES, a provider of content connectivity solutions, has unveiled the results of its annual Satellite Monitor survey, which reveals a steady increase in satellite TV penetration across Africa
The study on TV reception also shows an increase in SES reach from 33mn African households in 2018 to 35mn households in 2019.
In Nigeria, the Satellite Monitor results revealed that satellite TV reception was the choice for 11.8mn households in 2019, a 23 per cent increase compared to 2017, and a further 4.7mn in Ghana, up by 19 per cent from 2017. The study also highlighted that High Definition (HD) TV sets are becoming increasingly popular, already present in approximately 50 per cent of Ghanaian and Nigerian TV homes.
Other TV reception modes in Nigeria and Ghana currently include terrestrial, cable and IPTV. According to the latest survey results, satellite TV is steadily gaining popularity as the TV reception mode of choice in both markets, with 70 per cent of TV homes in Ghana and 33 per cent of those in Nigeria opting for satellite in 2019 – an increase from 64 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively, compared to 2017.
The Satellite Monitor results show that SES also increased its reach across the broader African continent. In addition to the growth of homes reached in Nigeria and Ghana, the study shows that SES’s satellites reach 11.6mn homes (satellite and terrestrial) in anglophone West Africa; 6.2mn satellite homes in francophone West Africa; 17.7mn homes (satellite and terrestrial) in sub-Saharan Africa; and 0.9mn satellite homes in East Africa.
“The results of our annual Satellite Monitor market research demonstrate that satellite continues to be the optimal infrastructure to deliver hundreds of TV channels and in high picture quality too, while offering an affordable solution in the transition from analogue to digital TV,” said Clint Brown, vice-president of sales and market development for SES Video in Africa.
“With the deadline for the analogue switch-off looming in both countries – 2020 in Ghana and 2021 in Nigeria – the 2019 Satellite Monitor findings confirm that end consumers in regions going through digital migration are satisfied with satellite TV and choosing it for its better value proposition and variety of free-to-air offerings, rather than purchasing new hardware and switching to digital terrestrial TV.”
