A Long Hot Summer and a Market Heating Up

I am writing this during an unprecedented heatwave we are experiencing in the U.K. over the last few weeks, which has seen my sleepy English village resemble a Mediterranean coastal resort for virtually all Summer. Speaking of heat, the satellite industry is also heating up, as new constellations take shape, new rockets come to market, and the industry seems ready to embrace a new more chaotic era than we have previously seen.

As we approach IBC, the heat is also on traditional pay-TV players as they look to grow their businesses. Operators such as Dish Network in the United States are seeing subscriber numbers fall, as customer viewing habits change, and the onset of OTT services like Netflix and Amazon show no signs of slowing down. Going against the tide somewhat, we talk to CEOs of the two of the biggest satellite pay-TV operators in Asia, Dish TV India and Tata Sky, about their plans to continue to monetize the Indian pay-TV market, which has long been seen as one of the fastest growing in the world. We also take a look at the issue of cybersecurity as it relates to broadcast. Previously, hacking pay-TV broadcast was all about the smart card, but hacking content has moved on and is even more sophisticated. We take a look at the latest cyber trends in broadcast in this issue.

Speaking of technology, one of the key components that fuels the satellite ecosystem is the amplifier market. This is another market that has a lot of heat in it due to different technological approaches and the fact there are a number of players trying to get their slice of the pie. We talk to a number of the key players in the market about how they are looking to meet the changing needs of operators.

So, this editor’s note is all about the heat. And while the temperatures may drop by the time we get to IBC and World Satellite Business Week, the market shows no signs of cooling down. VS