SES Study Critical for Nigeria’s Broadcast Digitalisation Drive- Freeman

SES remains committed to helping economic and sustainable growth in Nigeria and accelerating the digital switchover process in the region, said Mr. Paul Freeman, SES Vice President Marketing.

Freeman in an interview said that the world-leading satellite operator, providing reliable and secure satellite communications solutions to customers worldwide, aims to connect the entire Nigerian population with our satellites, by developing the broadcasting landscape in partnership with our local partners and in close coordination with broadcasters.

According to him, “Nigeria, as we speak is in the middle of the Digital Switchover process. We conducted the study because we saw a gap and need for such information to be available and easily accessible in Nigeria. The study has been conducted for over 20 years in Europe and there wasn’t any information of this kind focused on the African continent. Africa is a very important market for SES and we saw an opportunity to provide insight on the important role SES plays in the growth of the satellite television reach in the country”.

Describing the process, he said, that the Satellite Monitor study is an annual market research study commissioned by SES and carried out by various independent institutes.

“In Nigeria we worked with IPSOS, Nigeria a well-known research institute. Over 12,900 face-to-face interviews were conducted to ascertain the results”. The study results in an overall investment of approximately $250,000 per year.

Additionally to date, we have 7 satellites that offer coverage over West Africa today, with 2 specifically designed to provide extensive coverage over Nigeria. Each of these satellites costs around $300 million, which means hundreds of millions in the sky (satellites), plus we have invested on ground infrastructure for technical operations”.

With Satellite serving about 27% of all households and SES covers 19% of these homes at present, Freeman while speaking on the insights gained from carrying out the study, said, “The regional differences are particularly insightful as it helps us understand the areas where more homes are analogue that need converting to digital.  There is no other data available offering this level of local information.

“We work with three major research institutes worldwide for the Satellite Monitor study, namely, IPSOS, TNS and GFK.  In each country we have a thorough and careful selection process and in the case of Nigeria, Ipsos Nigeria was selected.  We use TNS to provide analysis and support with validation processes”, he said.

SES Vice President Marketing further said, “We are targeting all homes in Nigeria with television sets, making available more high quality satellite television content to the local population. In line with the Nigeria Digital Switchover process, we have partnered with Cable Channels Nigeria Ltd. (CCNL) to provide a strategic, reliable and stable video platform, via SES’s prime orbital position 28.2 degrees East, for the provision of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Direct to Home (DTH) broadcast platforms in Nigeria. CCNL, a company licensed by the Nigeria National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is the certified content aggregator and platform owner for the free-to-air DTT and DTH platforms in Nigeria, and is playing a key role in the Nigeria Digital Switchover (DSO) process by getting channels onto the land-based DTT network and onto satellite as DTH, both offered under the brand FreeTV”.

“We are providing satellite capacity from the orbital position 28.2E which has tailored beans for Nigeria on two different satellites for the Nigerian digital migration, this is being used to feed the digital terrestrial system and provide direct to home (DTH)connections. Through this study SES has established a market benchmark for the Nigerian TV viewing choices that will develop into a trend over the coming years that will directly support DSO in Nigerian because it will independently track the progress of the project”.

Speaking on expected partnership with over 64 cable satellite companies nationwide, Freeman noted that SES is a neutral market partner wherever it works in the world and always open to pursuing business opportunities, stressing that the DSO will revolutionise the broadcast landscape and architecture, as well as the local, state and national economy.

On how the report will aid ancillary business in the digital TV value chain, he said, “The study will become a key tool for digitalisation, through which Nigeria will develop a more advanced TV market.  This study will therefore aid broadcasters and advertisers who will better understand their addressable audience in the future. We would like this to be an annual study and expect to conduct the next study in 2017.

He affirmed that there have been palpable trends noticed from one study to the next, compared to other countries where SES has conducted similar studies. “Yes.  We have tracked huge shifts in trends over the course of the past 20 years including full digitalisation processes and the development of some of the world’s most successful pay-tv operators.

“Obviously we don't take guesses we let the data do the talking.  However, we should begin to see the formal implementation of the digitalisation process bear fruit and see regional increases in DTT and satellite.  We also expect more flat screens in the Nigerian market although the Tube TVs will continue to be the dominant type of TV in the market”.

On the news of a multiyear agreement contract between SES and Channels Television Nigeria LTD, he explained thus, “SES recently signed a multi-year contract with CCNL to provide a strategic, reliable and stable video platform, via SES's prime orbital position 28.2 degrees East, for the provision of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Direct to Home (DTH) broadcast platforms in Nigeria.

SES will utilise teleport services provided by its local partner Computer Warehouse Group Plc. (CWG). CCNL, a company licensed by the Nigeria National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is the certified content aggregator and platform owner for the free-to-air DTT and DTH platforms in Nigeria, and is playing a key role in the Nigeria Digital Switchover (DSO) process by getting channels onto the land-based DTT network and onto satellite as DTH, both offered under the brand FreeTV”.

He also spoke on the hopes content producers, advertisers, brand owners and managers should have with a study such as this. “The study will provide a currency for the broadcasters with which they can command better advertising revenue, with advertisers now having an idea of the reach of their channels in Nigeria. It also means a new channel will be joining an already vibrant neighbourhood with an existing audience base.

On expected impact the report will have on legislations, he said, “We will make the data available to our market partners; it is not available to buy.  The Nigeria Satellite Monitor is just one example of how SES supports our customers and market patters to generate business opportunities that utilise satellite capacity.  For example, we also run an extensive installer training Programme called Elevate bringing technical and business skills to a new generation of satellite installers.