Close to 11% of Sat TV viewers in Saudi Arabia engage in interactive voting in TV shows.

October 11, 2004

A new scientific survey by the Arab Advisors Group revealed that close to 89% of Arab households in Saudi Arabia have Satellite TVs. While the peak viewing time was found to be between 9:00 PM and mid night, a surprising finding was that some 54% of households continue to watch TV well past mid night, indicating s somewhat extended peak time in Saudi Arabia. The morning period of 6-12 was the least viewed period, naturally the survey revealed some differences in viewing patterns according to the age and gender of respondents. The survey, which was not commissioned by any single party or Sat TV station, stands out as an objective and reliable scientific insight by the Arab Advisors Group into the Sat TV and Radio landscape in Saudi Arabia, which is vital for brand managers and advertisers around the region.

The Arab Advisors Group is pleased to announce that a major multi client survey of households in Saudi Arabia that use and view Satellite TV Channels has just been concluded. The random scientific survey has a 95% confidence level with a less than 9% margin of error.

The survey report is available for Arab Advisors Group’s Subscribers for US$ 2000. Non-Subscribers to Arab Advisors Group’s Strategic Research Services can order the survey report for US$ 2500.

The report’s Table of Contents can be viewed at http://www.arabadvisors.com/publishedreports.htm . The report has 70 pages with 83 detailed exhibits on the Sat TV viewing patterns in Saudi Arabia.

90% of surveyed households indicated that they prefer to watch Sat TV programming in Arabic, or with Arabic subtitles. Only 10% prefer the English language.

The survey probed the brand name recognition of Sat TV channels in Saudi Arabia as well as the extent to which these channels are viewed. It covered the brand name recognition and viewer ship patterns the general entertainment channels (such as MBC, LBC, Future, etc.), the music channels (such as Rotana, Melody, Mezzika, etc.), Religious Programming Channels (such as Iqraa, Al Majd, etc.) and news channels.

“This major survey of Sat TV viewers in Saudi Arabia is one of many surveys that the Arab Advisors Group intends to make across the region in the near future. The Arab Advisors Group mission is to continue providing all interested parties with reliable and insightful primary research and analysis of the Arab World’s media and telecoms markets. The survey was not commissioned by any Sat TV station and was made independently by the Arab Advisors Group which makes it a valuable impartial resource for brand managers and advertiser around the region.” Mr. Jawad Jalal Abbassi, Arab Advisors Group Founder and President commented. “This new scientific survey is part of Arab Advisors Group’s efforts to serve the media industry in the Arab World and all stakeholders be they the channels, content producers, advertisers, investors, governments and viewers.”

The survey covers individuals from different households in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Dhahran. To mirror the demographic situation fully, the sample corresponds to the age distribution of the Saudi population as well as gender distribution.

The survey covered households brand recognition of channels as well the channels they watched regularly. Channels and companies covered by the survey include the following (based on responses made by the surveyed households):

Pay TV operators:
Orbit, Showtime and ART

Arabic Channels:
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Al Arabiya, Al Ekhbariya, Al Hurra, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera Sports, Al Khalijiya, Al Majd, ART Movies, ART Sports, Bahrain, Dream 1, Dream 2, Dubai, Egypt Satellite Channel, Egypt Satellite Channel 2, Egyptian Channels 1-5, Emirates, Emirates Business, Future, Infinity, Iqraa, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kuwait Movies, Kuwait Youth, LBC, Lybia, Manar, Mazzika, MBC, Mehwar, Melody, Mihwar, Music now, Musica, Nagham, NBN, New Sat TV, Nojoom, NTV, Oman, Orbit, Palestine, Qatar Satellite, Rotana, Rotana clip, Saudi 1, Saudi 2, Sharjah, Spacetoons, Star Academy, Strike, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Zen TV.

Foreign languages Channels:
4 fun TV, Action, America Plus, Animal Planet , ART Movies, Aramco, B4U, Bahrain 55, BBC World, BNN, BVN, Cartoon Network, CCTV, Cinema City, CNN, Comedy Channel, Countdown, Dance TV, Discovery, Disney, Dubai 33, DWTV, ETV, Euronews, Eurosport, Fashion TV, Hollywood, nfosport, Italia 1, Magic, MBC 2, Moda, Movie Channel, MTV, Multivision, NBA TV, Nile TV, Orbit ESPN, Playboy, Rai uno, RTL 1, RTL 2, Saudi 2, Showtime, Style, Super Comedy, Super Movies, Travel, TV5, TVL, Ultrablue, VH1, VIVA, VOX, XXL, ZDF.

News channels covered

Al Alam, Al Arabiya, Al Ekhbariya, Al Fagr, Al Hurra, Al Jazeera, Al Mustakila, Al Sharqiya, ANB, ANN, CNBC Arabiya, CNN, Manar, Nile News, Saudi 1

Music Channels
ART Music, Dream 1, Dream 2, ETV, Mazzika, Melody, MTV, Music Plus, Musica, Nagham, Nojoom, Rotana, Rotana Clip, Strike, VH1, Zen TV

Sports Channels
ART Sports, Bahrain, Dubai Sports, Jazeera Sports, Kuwait Sports, NBA TV, Nile Sport, Orbit Al Riyadiah, Orbit ESPN, Rai Sport, Saudi Sports

Channels for religious content:
Al Majd, Al Sharqiya, Iqraa, Manar, Saudi 1, Sharjah

General entertainment channels:
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, ART, Bahrain, Bahrain 55, Disney, Dream 1, Dream 2, Dubai, Dubai 33, Egypt Satellite Channel, Egypt Satellite Channel 2, Ein TV
Emirates, Fantasia, Future, Heya, Infinity, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kuwait Plus, LBC, Lybia, MBC, MBC 2, Mehwar, Muritania, New Sat TV, NileTV, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi 1, Saudi 2, Sharja, Space toons, Sudan, Syria, Yemen.

News channels:
Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Al Hurra , Al Ekhbariya, Al Mustakila, ANN, NBN, CNN, BBC World.

The survey has 54 detailed questions that address the following matters. Please feel free to request the survey questions from the Arab Advisors Group and to order the report.

Areas covered in the survey are:

Satellite TV viewing patterns
Recognition of Arabic satellite TV stations (general, music, news, religious,…)
Adoption of Pay TV and Pay TV operators
Actual viewing patterns and market shares of Arabic satellite TV stations
Confidence in reliability of channels
Household income levels
Radio listening patterns
Sat Radio
FM and AM Radio
Interactive voting on TV
Credibility of news channels and audience trust in their news

The Arab Advisors Group’s team of analysts in the region has already produced close to 280 reports on the Arab World’s communications and media markets. The reports can be purchased individually or received through an annual subscription to Arab Advisors Group’s Strategic Research Services (Media and Telecom). To date, Arab Advisors Group has served more than 205 global and regional companies by providing reliable research analysis and forecasts of Arab communications markets to these clients.