Ghana Now Has 4 Million Satellite TV Penetration Rate

Global Satellite operator, SES Group, has indicated that about four million television homes in Ghana are currently being served by satellite.

SES Group made this known in the 2017 edition of its Satellite Monitor Study report, which indicated that it expanded its satellite reach in Ghana from 2.2 million in 2015 to four million in 2017.

According to the report, 65 percent of homes surveyed receive TV channels via satellite.

It also said that ownership of High Definition (HD) televisions among Ghanaians was on the rise, as 23 percent homes own HDTV compared to 18 percent recorded in 2016.

The increased reach was mainly driven by SES's prime orbital position at 28.2 Degrees East, which reaches 97 percent of all satellite TV homes in Ghana.

According to the report, satellite has grown rapidly and has become the leading delivery mode in Ghana.

Out of six million TV homes, four million were said to be directly reached by satellite, an 83 percent increase compared to 2015, with the remaining two million homes reportedly fed by terrestrial networks, representing a 40 percent decline since 2015.

Satellite was also reported to be the major contributor to digital television in the country, as 95 percent of digital TV homes are said to be served by satellite.

According to the report, digital switch-over or migration in Ghana was lagging, with only 10 percent of terrestrial TV homes currently being digital.

Senior Market and Business Development Analyst of SES Group, Ricardo Topham, who co-presented the findings of the survey on Tuesday at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra, said as the satellite reach was expanding, Ghanaians were also shifting away from the normal hogback televisions to flat-screen TVs, with Samsung and LG reportedly being the favorite among buyers.

He also indicated that there was a sharp decrease in terrestrial television reach across the 10 regions of Ghana where the survey was conducted.

Vice President of Sales and Market Development for Africa, SES Video, Clint Brown said, “The Satellite Monitor results for the Ghanaian market clearly illustrate the strong role of satellite broadcasting within the television infrastructure and SES, as an enabler to bring digital TV to the highest number of homes in the country.”

According to the Vice President, “We are committed to boosting TV growth in the Ghanaian market, as well as helping broadcasters and content programmers seize opportunities to gain more viewers.”

Africa
Meanwhile, the report indicated that SES expanded its reach over the period to 30 million homes across Africa.

Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, which were included in the Satellite Monitor for the first year, reportedly account for an additional seven million homes reached by SES.

SES is global satellite operator, providing satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and government institutions.

By Melvin Tarlue