Satellite TV one of the fastest-growing media in West Africa

EUTELSAT 16A satellite leads free-to-air reach

Paris, 3 February 2016 – New research revealed in the annual Africascope report produced by TNS Sofres[1] shows a buoyant TV market in French-speaking African countries and the increasing marketshare of the EUTELSAT 16A satellite, one of the key TV satellites for West Africa.

The exclusive research analyses overall media trends in 4.2 million TV homes, representing 18.6 million people living in capital and economic cities in seven West African countries[2]. TV is the dominant media in all markets with average viewing ranging between three and 4.5 hours a day. Multi-channel viewing and flat screen ownership are gaining ground in these key urban areas, both already accounting for over 30% of TV homes and underscoring the transition to a digital broadcasting environment.

For 40% of the TV homes surveyed, satellite TV follows analogue terrestrial as the most popular choice for TV viewing. A total of 1.7 million TV homes, equivalent to eight million viewers, have adopted satellite reception as their preferred route to a multi-channel offer in digital quality.

In this satellite universe, the EUTELSAT 16A satellite emerges as one of the most popular in West Africa, reaching into almost half a million homes, equivalent to over two million viewers. This reflects a strong line-up of over 170 French and local language channels, including France 24, the all-news channel and TV5MONDE Afrique, the established francophone general interest channel. EUTELSAT 16A also leads the free-to-air reach, serving two out of three free-to-air satellite TV homes in the French-speaking urban areas surveyed.

Michel Azibert, Eutelsat’s Chief Commercial and Development Officer, said: “The trends in the Africascope report show vibrant consumer appetite for a TV experience delivering choice and a quality signal in urban areas that are a component of the overall audience we reach in West Africa. They confirm EUTELSAT 16A as a reference neighbourhood in West Africa and encourage us to pursue our goal of contributing to an inclusive digital ecosystem in Africa.”                                 

[1]Africascope is an annual quantitative research tool managed by TNS and co-funded by the main actors of the French audiovisual landscape broadcasting in French-speaking Africa.

[2]Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, DRC, Gabon, Mali, Senegal