Direct-to-home (DTH) services are proving to be a significant growth market in Asia Pacific, which is good news for satellite operator SES, whose own DTH reach in the region had grown 15% year on year.
SES announced at CommunicAsia2014 that its DTH reach in Asia Pacific passed the 41 million subscriber mark in 2013, compared to 36 million in 2012.
SES says its DTH growth in APAC has been powered mainly by South Asia and Southeast Asia, with key deals signed with operators in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Asia Pacific is expected to see significant growth in both DTH and data markets over the next few years.
According to Euroconsult, the DTH subscriber compound annual growth rate (CAGR) will reach 7.8% for Asia (compared to 5.2% globally) from 2013 to 2022. SES says it’s carrying over 1,000 DTH channels in Asia, over 90 of them HD.
Meanwhile, SES is also moving into ultra HD - the company announced earlier this week that Eurovision is using its satellites to broadcast select matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup to audiences in ultra HD and HD.
However, it’s early days for ultra HD, especially in Asia Pacific, says Glen Tindall, VP of Asia Pacific sales at SES.
“But it is on the horizon, and that horizon is coming up fast,” he told the Show Daily. “Ultra HD is core to our future. We expect 40% of households in Asia Pacific will be watching ultra HD by 2025.”
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