A recent analysis by the Frost & Sullivan global research and consulting company finds that Arabsat reaches 86% of satellite TV households in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and nearly 78% in GCC, including Bahrain, Kuwait, KSA, Oman, Qatar, and UAE.
Arabsat, carries more than 500 TV channels, 200 radio stations, payTV networks and a wide variety of HD channels reaching nearly four million households in GCC. Operating six satellites at three orbital positions, the operator offers the youngest regional fleet with widespread coverage over the region. Arabsat’s ability to ensure localization combined with international diversity of content makes it a platform of choice for both broadcasters as well as viewers in the MENA region. The company has a strong portfolio of exclusive first-class channels for the region such as France 24 Arabic and English HD, TV5 Monde Style HD, among several others.
Frost & Sullivan finds growing demand among end users for high quality of transmission resulting from the rapid increase in the penetration of 4K and HDR TV sets, receivers, Internet streaming boxes as well as cellular hand-held devices. Broadcasters and service providers eyeing viewership retention for boosting their revenue need partners that can offer optimal quality of transmission as well as the widest reach.
Y.S. Shashidhar, Managing Director, Frost & Sullivan MENA, noted that satellite services continue to be an essential way of providing entertainment and communications across the entire MENA region where network connectivity is not uniform. Arabsat, with its constant emphasis on innovativeness and partnerships, is firmly poised to help its broadcaster customers connect to a wide user base in the region.
Frost & Sullivan’s Research Director, Vidya S. Nath, added that Arabsat’s exclusive and strategic partnerships with leading international and regional broadcasting networks have enabled the firm to establish a significant footprint over GCC, especially KSA.
Khalid Balkheyour, the President and CEO of Arabsat added that innovativeness to ensure the highest quality of experience for the viewer stands as the company's core undertaking and motto. Such keenness on innovativeness has both motivated and helped Arabsat to build an exclusive portfolio of leading regional networks in the region, including the foremost MBC Pro Sports along with exclusive rights to broadcast the Saudi Football League, MBC full HD bouquet, and Rotana full HD bouquet. Additionally, to establish Arabsat's footprint in the Maghreb region, the company has launched several strategic initiatives. The company wants to offer the viewers in Maghreb unparalleled content offering and, hence, we have on board exclusive access to the complete Mauritanian bouquet, the complete FTA MBC bouquet, the My-Maghreb package as well several other attractive channels across different genres.