By Iminza Keboge
Published January 11, 2018
The number of pay-TV subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow to 40.89 million by 2023.
Sub-Saharan Africa Pay TV Forecasts , a report by Digital TV Research, says this 74 per cent growth between 2017 and 2023 will generate US$6.64 Billion revenue which represents 41 per cent growth over the US$2 Billion collected in 2017.
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“Pay TV competition in Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming more and more intense, especially given the launch of Kwese TV in 14 countries during 2017,” says Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research.“Pay TV operators in most countries have lowered subscription fees and/or subsidised/given away equipment as competition intensifies. By no means are all of the existing pay TV platforms are expected to survive in the long run. Having said that, several pay TV operators are booming.”
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Though Kenya boasts two pay-DTT platforms, a cable network and five main satellite TV operators will continue to show considerable digital TV growth, it appears to be overcrowded as it has only 4.01 million TV households.
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Nigeria will have the most pay TV subscribers by 2023, having overtaken South Africa in 2021.
South Africa’s Multichoice had 12.48 million subscribers across satellite TV platform DStv and DTT platform GOtv by end of 2017, which will grow to 16.66 million by 2023.
France’s Vivendi had 2.96 million subs to its Canal Plus satellite TV platform and Easy TV by end of 2017; forecast to climb by nearly 2 million to 4.87 million by 2023.
China’s StarTimes/StarSat will enjoy the most impressive growth: from 6.23 million subscribers at end of 2017 to 13.42 million by 2023.
A ScreenAfrica article
