Small Majority Of Arab Satellite TV Channels Have Online Presence
During April 2008, the Arab Advisors Group examined 377 FTA satellite TV channels broadcasting on Arabsat, Nilesat, and Noorsat satellite systems (targeting the Arab World) to research their online presence. Of the analysed stations, 64.5% (243 channels) have an online presence namely a website or a portal tied to the channel.
Spurred by the increasing uptake of the Internet service in the Arab World, many channels in the Arab TV industry have established an online presence. The Arab Advisors Group analysis reveals that a majority of channels with an online presence have an enhanced presence. An enhanced online presence includes channels that have corresponding portals. The portals portray the channels’ services and the Integration between the satellite channel and its online presence is relatively strong. Moreover, many satellite channels with basic online presence (where the integration between the satellite channel and its content and service availability is relatively weak) demonstrate their intention of enhancing their online services.
A new report, ‘Online Presence of FTA Satellite Channels in the Arab World‘ was released to the Arab Advisors Group’s Media Strategic Research Service subscribers recently. The 40-page report, which has 24 detailed exhibits, provides a detailed analysis of the online presence of FTA satellite channels in the Arab World. The report includes analysis and categorisation of the online presence of 377 FTA satellite TV channels broadcasting on Arabsat, Nilesat and Noorsat satellite systems.
The results of the study show the following:
- A majority of the 243 channels that have online presence lean more towards an enhanced online presence.
- Almost 40% of the satellite channels have online presence but do not aim at generating online revenues.
- A total of 24.6% of satellite channels use their supporting websites or portals as an alternative source of revenue.
- A majority of the channels that have online revenue generating features have an enhanced online presence.
I personally think that there is still a lot of space for the online presence of Arab satellite TV channels to grow and be enhanced, so as to provide more services, content, types of entertainment, added-value and interactivity for the user; complementing the TV offer; and becoming yet another channel of distribution and revenue for the company.
MBC Group and Al-Jazeera are great examples through their online presence and the projects that they’ve been launching on the sides, taking it all a step further, widening and engaging their audiences.
