Digital Content and TV Everywhere Poised for Growth in the Middle East

Dubai, UAE, March 12, 2014--With an innumerable array of high-tech smart TVs, computers, mobile phones and portable gadgets driving mainstream media consumption habits away from traditional, living room TV experiences and towards flexible, anywhere-anytime digital media absorption, the global content delivery industry has earmarked the Middle East as its next major growth territory.

International content and media companies are buoyed by several population and infrastructure-based advantages aiding the rapid uptake of TV-Everywhere services across multiple digital media platforms. As well as boasting 76% high-speed broadband penetration, GCC nations enjoy 77% digital TV connectivity and over 100% mobile device penetration – all significant factors in influencing the content accessibility and the region’s viewer consumption habits.

“More than 100 million of our 1.5 billion monthly worldwide views already originate from the Middle East,” said Shahrzad Rafati, CEO and Founder of BroadbandTV Corp, one of the world’s leading technology and media companies. “Viewers are increasingly utilising connected devices as the first screen and content owners of all sizes need to gain solid insights to their fans, positively engage with them and utilise technology to further drive consumption and access new revenue streams. The Gulf region is poised for growth and content owners need to ensure that they have a solid digital strategy across all platforms.”

Less than a decade after starting BroadbandTV Corp, Rafati has established her Vancouver-based media brainchild into the third largest Multi-Channel Network (MCN) on YouTube. Speaking on the sidelines of this week’s CABSAT trade show at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Rafati revealed the firm is now actively seeking regional expansion opportunities with prospective partners in the immersive IPTV, video, mobile, online and interactive entertainment sectors.

“Our content already reaches a global audience but we hope to cross another frontier by growing our content that is relevant for Middle East viewers. We’re currently exploring opportunities to strike alliances with local partners and increase our Arabic language capacity and we’re looking forward to bringing the region into our global expansion strategy.” said Rafati.

With a CABSAT-commissioned White Paper by Frost & Sullivan revealing MENA will be linked through 545 million personal connected devices by 2020, the region’s attractiveness to international content providers was echoed by Raffaele Annecchino, Executive Vice President, South Europe, Middle East and Africa, for Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN).

“When we consider that MENA residents aged between 15 – 24-years-old are holding on average 19 digital conversations per day and two out of the 72 hours of YouTube content uploaded per minute originate regionally, the need to work hard to stay attended to rapidly changing attitudes and behavior has never been more apparent.”

Earlier this week at CABSAT, Annecchino released the latest findings from VIMN’s ongoing research into changing consumer behavior. The findings, titled ‘TV S.M.A.R.T’, reflect data culled from more than 27,000 respondents in 32 countries.

“The TV S.M.A.R.T study is especially relevant in the Middle East, where almost half the population is aged between 9 – 30-years-old, of which 77% have a social media account,” added Annecchino. "It's no secret that the way consumers watch TV content is evolving and changing; TV is still the king of media but needs to be SMART - social, mobile, accessible, relevant and tailored.”

CABSAT, the leading content creation, management and distribution event in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), has attracted more than 900 exhibitors from over 60 countries. The event, which is only open to trade, ends today (Thursday 13^th March). For more details on CABSAT, please visit: www.cabsat.com