Middle East and Africa SVOD Revenues to Climb Tenfold

London, UK, May 9, 2016--Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) revenues will increase tenfold from US$ 124 million in 2015 to US$ 1.24 billion in 2021. The Middle East & Africa Over the Top (OTT) TV and Video Forecasts report estimates that Turkey will remain market leader covered, with US$ 257 million in SVOD revenues by 2021.

Digital TV Research forecasts 19.59 million SVOD homes across 28 countries in the region by 2021, up from only 15,000 in 2010 and 2.79 million expected by end-2016. 

Total OTT TV and video revenues will reach US$ 1.8 billion in 2021; up from only US$ 13 million recorded in 2010 and US$ 277 million in 2015. SVOD’s dominance is expected to grow to 69% of the OTT total in 2021 from 45% in 2015. Unlike Western Europe for example, OTT TV and video advertising revenues will be limited in the Middle East and Africa as few free-to-air broadcasters have deep online ar

From the US$1.5 billion in OTT revenues to be added between 2015 and 2021, Turkey will contribute US$ 264 million, with South Africa bringing in a further US$ 222 million and Israel US$ 187 million more. Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Middle East & Africa OTT TV and video will still be an immature sector by 2021. However, 2016 is a watershed year – the year that OTT really started to take off.” He continued: “Fixed broadband penetration is low in many of the region’s countries, so more OTT viewing will take place on smartphones. Digital TV Research forecasts that 304 million smartphone subscribers will be watching OTT TV & video at least once a month by 2021 – more than triple the 2015 total and up from 5 million in 2010.”