SES reaches 360 million TV homes

Satellite operator SES has expanded its reach to more than 360 million TV homes worldwide.

The figures were revealed as part of the operator’s annual Satellite Monitor market research, which revealed that SES delivers 8,265 channels to 361 million households worldwide.

Europe continues to be the biggest market for SES, where it reaches 170 million homes – up by 2 million for the year. This represents 43% of all European TV homes, with this market covered by SES’s prime orbital neighbourhood of 19.2 degrees East. 

HD homes covered by the operator increased to 84%, representing an increase of almost 30% in the past five years

SES also added 2 million in Africa, for a total of 37 million homes on the continent which is SES’ fourth most active market. North America and Latin America are second and third, with 65 million and 42 million homes respectively.

While OTT services continue to threaten the profitability of pay TV operators, SES takes a more positive approach. Its research argues that OTT content is ‘complementary’ and that such services do not replace linear TV. This is reflected in relative stability in traditional linear TV, while OTT has rapidly increased in the past five years. 

SES CEO Steve Collar said: “An industry bellwether report, this year’s Satellite Monitor survey once again confirms SES’s established leadership position in terms of our global reach combined with our focus on delivering the most immersive viewing experience through HD and UHD content. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has driven content consumption higher than ever, and in large parts of the world, linear TV remains the primary choice for people to consume news and information. We will continue to innovate to enable our video customers to reach as many audiences as possible via multiple screens.”