Report: MENA region to see jump in online media revenue

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on March 9, 2010 at 6:06 PM

Online media revenue in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to spike to US$600 million by 2015, from less than $100 million last year, research from global consulting firm Booz and Company shows, The National reported today. Mobile revenues are also increasing, expected to reach $2.7 billion.

According to the report, 70 percent of audiences in MENA countries said they spend two hours or more on the Internet each day, while 36 percent said they spend two or more hours watching TV.

"This tells us where our listeners are going to be, and where we need to start making significant headway. This doesn't mean traditional media will take a back seat, it just means new media will be as important," Karim Sabbagh, vice president of Booz and Company, told the audience of the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, according to Gulf News.

Also in the MENA region, broadband usage is expected to rise by 40 percent by the end of 2015, according to the report.