The onset of Ramadan in the region has historically been a boom time for the media industry; for all stakeholders, be it the client, the media agency or the supplier. The truth of this statement is only amplified if we look at television specifically.
Mindsight (the research arm of Mindshare & MediaCom), after analyzing the Mashhad data (Mindsight's continuous TV measurement survey) for the first week of Ramadan for four markets (KSA, UAE, Egypt and Kuwait) in the region, has come up with first-look insights to help marketers prepare better for this month. In all the GCC markets, MBC1 emerges as the leading station, whereas Al Hayat is the top station in Egypt. In all markets, with the exception of Saudi, local TV stations have performed better than last year, grabbing the top spots. Amongst the favored typologies, Arabic series and religious shows are the most watched shows, with UAE showing strong preference for animated comedy shows.
MBC stations are the dominant players in the Saudi, accounting for nearly 50% of SOAT. Similar trend emerges in programs with MBC1 broadcasting as many as 13 of the top 20 programs, including all the top 10 programs. Arabic series and Khaleeji comedy shows are among the most watched programs, with Tash18 (on MBC1) being the most watched shows.
Egypt is the only market with no MBC stations in the top 10; Egyptian channels have taken all the top honors. Egypt Channel1 has 12 programs in the top 20 programs list, however the top 2 spots are taken by Al Hayat1 with Ramez Qalb El Asad and Al Dali, Religious shows are the most popular typology in the country along with comedy series.
In Kuwait, there is tough competition among the channels for the top spots, with varied channels in the top 10. Gulf series are the most watched type of programs in the country. Bou Karim Birakabto 7 Harim on MBC1 and Banat Al Thanawiyya on Dubai TV are the most watched shows. Al Watan and MBC1 manage 7 programs each in the top 20 program listing.
UAE based stations have done well in the country, grabbing 3 of the top 5 spots. Animated comedy shows perform well in the market, with Shaabiyyat El-Kartoun on Sama Dubai capturing the top spot. Out of the top 20 programs, MBC1 broadcasts 9 shows, while Dubai TV broadcasts 6
As is evident from the comparisons of the first week data, there exist remarked differences among the markets, and these differences will only become more contrasting as Ramadan progresses. This makes it critical that media agencies, clients and broadcasters are integrated into daily monitoring and analysis of TV viewing habits, so they can modify their plans and strategies in accordance to the ever-evolving TV scene. Mindsight shares monitoring data for these 4 markets with its partners on a daily basis, with data for a day being sent out before 2100 hours the next day. The constant monitoring and daily reporting of TV viewership by Mindsight, provides an edge to Mindshare, MediaCom and their partners, leading to optimized and efficient use of the media.
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© Press Release 2011
