Paris– The annual Africascope report produced by TNS Sofres shows a buoyant TV market in French-speaking African countries and the increasing market share of the EUTELSAT 16A satellite.

The exclusive research analyses overall media trends in 4.2 million TV homes, representing 18.6 million people living in capital and economic cities in seven West African countries. TV is the dominant media in all markets with average viewing ranging between three and 4.5 hours a day. Multi-channel viewing and flat screen ownership are gaining ground in these key urban areas, both already accounting for over 30% of TV homes and underscoring the transition to a digital broadcasting environment.

For 40% of the TV homes surveyed, satellite TV follows analogue terrestrial as the most popular choice for TV viewing. A total of 1.7 million TV homes, equivalent to eight million viewers, have adopted satellite reception as their preferred route to a multi-channel offer in digital quality.