According to ABI Research, the worldwide pay TV market grew at a steady rate of 4% in 2014 to reach 923.5 million subscribers. “Despite the growth in subscriber base, weak currency exchange rates resulted in a slower increase of pay TV market service revenue. Worldwide the pay TV market generated US$257 billion in 2014 and is expected to surpass 1.1 billion subscribers in 2020 with a CAGR 2.7%,” comments Jake Saunders, VP and Practice Director of Core Forecasting.

Gilat Satellite Networks (NASDAQ: GILT) announced today that Erez Antebi, has decided to step down from the position of CEO. Dov Baharav, Gilat’s Chairman of the Board will assume the position of interim CEO until a new CEO is appointed. The transition between  Baharav and Antebi will take place during the second quarter of 2015. Baharav will remain Gilat's Chairman of the Board.

Lifting off from Baikonur at 01:05 am Moscow Time on Thursday, March 19, the Proton-M integrated launch vehicle (ILV) successfully orbited the Airbus DS–built Express AM-7 telecommunications satellite for Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), under the Russian Federal Program, “Development of TV and Radio Broadcasting in the Russian Federation for 2009–2015.”

This second launch of 2015 is the 403rd in Proton’s history.

Telstra has agreed to acquire Globecast Australia. In an announcement issued by Telstra today, Telstra Group Managing Director Global Sales, Martijn Blanken, said the acquisition would deliver on its Global Enterprise and Services business'  (GES) strategy of developing deeper capabilities in media services for our customers in the broadcasting industry. “Our broadcasting customers increasingly require live distribution of content from a diverse range of global content providers.

SpeedCast International Limited today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Hermes Datacommunications International Ltd, a provider of managed network services for the upstream oil and gas industry.  

NSR’s Wireless Backhaul via Satellite 10th Edition report, released today, forecasts the global installed base of satellite backhaul sites will surpass 67,000 by 2025 and will generate US$2.1 billion in revenues. Mobile Backhaul will generate the majority of growth led by Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Pay TV revenues in the Asia Pacific region (22 countries) will grow by US$ 10 billion between 2014 and 2020, according to Digital TV Research. The Digital TV Asia Pacific Forecasts report estimates that pay TV revenues will reach US$ 41.52 billion by 2020.

Cable TV will remain the highest pay TV earner, with revenues at $23 billion by 2020. Digital cable TV revenues will grow by 63% between 2014 and 2020 to US$ 22.54 billion, with analog cable TV falling from US$ 6.20 billion to US$ 0.56 billion. 

Globecomm is proud to announce Mr. Jason D. Juranek has joined their executive team as Chief Financial Officer, reporting to Keith Hall, Chief Executive Officer.

Globecast today announced that it has appointed sports business expert Rick Horrow as a key industry advisor on a consultancy basis. Horrow and his team will work with Globecast executive staff to identify unique content solutions, development and distribution opportunities, top business targets, and key media, technology, sports, and entertainment industry events, as well as facilitate overall strategic growth in the North American market and elsewhere.

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has taken an equity stake in SoftBank Satellite Planning Corp., which will develop concepts for a satellite-based disaster response communications system for Japan. The group will evaluate the concepts and propose them to Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.