Linear Video Distribution to Remain FSS 'Bread and Butter' for Years, NSR Says

The satellite industry's years of big growth of direct-to-home (DTH) and video distribution are over, but linear TV "will remain the bread and butter" of the fixed satellite service industry for years, said Northern Sky Research analyst Alan Crisp in a blog post Wednesday. NSR said major markets such as the U.S., India and parts of Western Europe are either saturated or stagnating, but growth opportunities remain for enhanced content quality and ethnic programming, and developing regions will see growth for some time of DTH and video distribution. The firm said the number of leased Ku-band DTH channels in developing markets will grow by roughly 50 percent, to more than 12,000 by 2026, while over-the-top video and the general maturity of the North America/Western European markets mean channel growth in the time frame there will be a more modest 10 percent, to roughly 4,100 channels.