Around 70% of the 724 operational free-to-air satellite television channels targeting the Arab world now have an online presence, according to the Arab Advisors Group.
Some 91% of these now include a portal, providing integration between the website and corresponding satellite channel, said the Amman-based research company. And of those analysed, many whose online presence was relatively weak during the study – undertaken in April and May 2015 – demonstrated an intention to enhance their Internet offer.
"The analysis reveals that a majority of the 505 channels that have an online site choose to have an enhanced online presence. Furthermore, 24.6% of channels with an online presence generate online revenues from their supporting online presence, such as: online advertisement and online shopping," said Hind Qweider, senior research analyst, Arab Advisors Group.
Dalia Haddad, Arab Advisors' senior research analyst, added: "Almost 42.5% of the satellite channels have online presences for promotional purposes only and do not aim at generating online revenues. [The] 23.5% of the channels that have online revenue generating features have an enhanced online presence."
