News Analysis

For Multiscreen TV in Western Europe, Recorded TV trumps Live TV

Dallas, Texas, September 8, 2011--Parks Associates released new research today revealing consumers in Western Europe value multidevice access to recorded TV programs over other new video services, including access to live TV.

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Satellite TV now in over 17 million households in Germany

Berlin, Germany, September 7, 2011--For the first time ever, the number of German households receiving TV via satellite has broken the 17 million mark. In the first half of 2011, direct-broadcast satellite was beamed into 430,000 additional households, taking the total up to 17.1 million. By contrast, cable TV is losing in popularity. The first six months of the year saw 260,000 households switch to a different form of TV reception. This has reduced the reach of cable TV to 17.9 million households. This were the findings of the latest Satellite Monitor results for the first half of 2011. The research was carried out by market research company TNS Infratest on behalf of SES ASTRA and in cooperation with the broadcasting institutions of the German states.

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Public Sector Support for New Satellite Ventures

by  Jan Grøndrup-Vivanco

Paris, September 2, 2011-- It’s easy to forget that the four largest satellite commercial operators all started out with government support. Intelsat, Inmarsat and Eutelsat were inter-governmental organisations for the first 25 years of their existence and SES started out with backing from Luxemburg’s government and government-owned banks. Governments continue to play an important role in getting new commercial satellite operators off the ground in emerging markets.

What Enterprise Customers Really Want

The enterprise customer is the most attractive yet elusive for the satellite service provider 

by Robert Bell

New York, NY, September 2, 2011- The satellite communications market is a stool standing on three legs.  There is the media and entertainment leg, for which satellite provides a uniquely cost-effective, one-to-many solution.  There is the government and military leg, where satellite’s primary advantage is its ability to go places where terrestrial alternatives are unreliable or nonexistent.  And there is the enterprise leg, serving all other kinds of organizations.  Of the three legs of the stool, the enterprise market is in some ways the most attractive but also the most elusive.

European Broadcasting Union Launches New Europe-wide Broadcast Industry Survey

Geneva, August 25, 2011 – The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), working with Futuresource Consulting, today announced the launch of new research into the key business challenges and future opportunities for European broadcasters in an evolving market. This is the first study of its kind within the broadcast industry and will shed light on the shifting broadcast marketplace, consolidation, cost pressures and potential new revenue streams for the industry, as well as how buying behaviours may be changing on account of financial pressures. The results will be analysed within the context of the wider broadcast environment to ensure a thorough and long-term understanding of the marketplace.

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UK pay TV revenues reaching their peak

Middlesex, UK, August 25, 2011--UK pay TV revenues are fast reaching maturity, so operators must find other revenue streams to ensure growth, according to a new report from Digital TV Research. UK pay TV revenues are forecast to reach US$9.3 billion in 2011, up by US$3.3 billion on 2006. However, revenues are only expected to climb by another US$250 million to reach US$9.6 billion in 2016. The UK Digital TV Forecasts report states that TV ARPU will fall as operators convert subs to bundles and as competition from free multichannel services intensifies.

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European Pay TV Alive and Well, Despite Struggling Economy

London, UK– August 24, 2011– Despite a bleak economic climate, European Pay TV providers continue to add new subscribers. Collectively, Europe’s top ten providers added nearly 1.5 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2011, according to a report just published by Strategy Analytics.

More Challenging Environment Ahead for the Satellite Communications Industry

Growth still robust in a number of segments and regions according to new Euroconsult report

Paris, August 11, 2011– According to Euroconsult’s just-published report “Satellite Communications & Broadcasting Markets Survey, Forecasts to 2020,” the fixed satellite sector grew both in terms of transponder demand (+4.4%) and revenue, which reached $10.8 billion in 2010. However, this is set against a backdrop of slowing growth rates and a more challenging business environment in the next several years. Euroconsult nevertheless maintains an overall positive outlook for the future of the satellite sector with television broadcasting and emerging markets continuing to drive growth and high throughput satellite (HTS) capacity systems contributing to growth as well.

Digital Switchover Deadline Looms in Europe

London, August 2, 2011--As Digital Switch Over in Europe proceeds, generally without hiccups, the battlelines are being drawn betweenbroadcasters and multimedia operators over the use of spectrum. Europe continues to lead the world in the switch over to digital television.By the end of 2011 DTT should be well advanced across the European Union and the 2012 EU directive for switch-off is expected to be met by almost all member states.

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Writing on the Wall: VSAT Services Making More Waves in the Maritime Market

by NSR

Cambridge, Mass, August 1, 2011--Back in 2007, NSR viewed the longer term outlook in the maritime segment likely to “benefit products in Ku- and C-band ultimately and provide stronger competition to L-band services...”, recognizing that VSAT flat monthly fees with Mbps data rates provided a more predictable return-on-investment than the traditional MSS pay-per-byte model. Then Inmarsat on July 1, 2011 announced new rates that seem to go counter to this view and could drive a growing base of the smaller boat community towards the flat, predictable VSAT service fees.

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