According to Digital Tech Consulting (DTC) the global satellite TV market should enjoy strong growth in 2012, with direct-to-home (DTH) service subscribers reaching over 212M by the end of the year before growing to 268M by 2016.
Driving satellite TV success is the growth in emerging markets, particularly where infrastructure is lacking and alternate services (such as IPTV) are less developed. Growth is less strong in developed markets like W. Europe, where the majority of TV viewers already have pay TV subscriptions and new TV household growth is relatively slow (due to low birthrates).
The Middle East represents something of a wild card-- with one of the youngest populations in the world, DTC says the region is potentially fertile ground for further satellite TV growth. However the "Arab Spring" revolutions may bring either economic liberalisation (a boon to pay TV competition) or further disorder (drying up foreign investment and lowering economic growth).
As seen in Egypt, where the economy is fairing poorly since the overthrowing of Hosni Mubarak.
Meanwhile in the Western world, customers are more price sensitive than ever-- demanding cheaper prices, not more bells and whistles of the fancy STB variety.