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A new study by Research and Markets, an online market research platform, shows that Nigeria will contribute 10 million (21.2 per cent) pay television subscribers to Africa's 47.26 million pay TV market by 2025. The "Africa Pay TV Forecasts" report provides analysis and forecasts of the market across 35 countries by household penetration, subscribers, revenues and major operators between 2010-2025.

The report said Nigeria will overtake South Africa in pay TV subscription in 2020. The 76-page PowerPoint report also shows that African subscriber numbers will increase by 54 per cent from 30.7 million at the end of 2019 to 47.26 million in 2025. Meanwhile, pay TV revenues are expected to rise by 31 per cent ($1.72 billion) to $7.20 billion in 2025. The implication of these forecasts is that subscriber growth will outstrip revenue increase in Africa.

Research and Markets said major operators on the continent, namely South Africa's Multichoice, France's Vivendi and China's StarTimes, accounted for 93 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa's pay TV subscribers in 2019. However, this proportion will drop to 88 per cent by 2025. Each of the three companies provides a satellite TV platform and a pay digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform.

Multichoice had 14.56 million subscribers across its satellite TV (DStv) and pay DTT (GOtv) platforms by end of 2019. Its subscribers are projected to grow to 18.05 million by 2025, with a marked slowdown in the growth of DStv subscribers.

"France's Vivendi had 4.73 million subs to its Canal Plus satellite TV platform and Easy TV DTT platforms by end-2019," according to a statement by Research and Markets on Wednesday. "Its total will climb to 7.35 million by 2025."

StarTimes' StarSat is expected to enjoy the most impressive growth, rising from 9.1 million subscribers in 2019 to 16.39 million by 2025.