Eutelsat teams up with Rotana Media Services and Vestel to boost satellite ad revenues with targeted advertising

Leading satellite operator Eutelsat is working with key industry leaders Rotana Media Services and Vestel to develop geographic-based targeted advertising for satellite TV channels. Building on the success of its Sat.tv service, which has delivered major enhancements to the end-user’s content discovery and viewing experience of Free-to-Air (FTA) television, Eutelsat is now focusing on innovative solutions to boost the advertising revenues that underpin the FTA business.

Re-engineering delivery, playout and reporting mechanisms of mass market satellite receivers, Eutelsat and partners are driving the rapid rollout of satellite targeted advertising to tens of millions of satellite households within a five-year timeframe. A multi-solution architecture will give broadcasters complete control to schedule and trigger advertising, or a managed approach for those who prefer to minimize the technical and administrative details.

Aymeric Genty, President of the Eutelsat Video Business Unit, commented, "Targeted advertising multiplies the revenue potential of each ad minute. Most advertisers are interested in the specific market segments that they are targeting. This enables broadcasters to expand their number of advertisers. It’s a win-win solution that generates more revenue through satellite television. The advertising opportunities on satellite are huge. There are 66 million households in MENA watching TV at the Eutelsat-Nilesat 7/8°West video neighbourhood. Our goal is to activate targeted ads for 35 million of them within five years.”

Nezar Nagro, President of Rotana Media Services said, “RMS operates at the intersection of premium content, advanced ad technology, and deep regional market expertise. With established offices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, we are uniquely positioned to unlock advertiser demand within local markets, enabling brands to target audiences with precision and scale.

As advertisers increasingly demand proof of performance, our focus is also on enabling reliable return channel data from connected devices to validate ad delivery and audience engagement. This data layer is critical to building trust and accountability in a satellite-based targeting ecosystem. Coupled with geographic ad insertion, it opens the door to scalable, market-specific monetization on linear TV, a transformation that brings the efficiencies and precision of digital into the satellite environment. We’re excited to partner with Eutelsat and Vestel to help realize this evolution.”

Atınç Öğüt, Deputy General Manager of Vestel Consumer Electronics Product Management added, “As a leading TV manufacturer, we are committed to enhancing the user experience by providing smarter and more intuitive access to content. Our collaboration with Eutelsat to integrate Sat.tv functionality directly into our TVs is a significant step forward - offering consumers easier channel navigation and an enriched, dynamic programme guide. In addition, while most of our Smart TVs already support targeted advertising through internet-based IPTV environments, bringing this capability to satellite broadcasting has remained a challenge - until now. This advancement opens up new and exciting opportunities for personalised advertising on satellite TV, a breakthrough that will transform advertising monetisation in this space. We are delighted to be working with Eutelsat to lead this innovation.”

The innovative solution will be demonstrated at CABSAT 2025, the leading event for the media and entertainment industry in the MENA region. Visit the Eutelsat booth, Hall 3, S3-A10, from May 13-15, to find out more.