SCOTTSDALE, USA: The worldwide market for pay-Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite television rose significantly in 2008, with an estimated 18 percent rise in subscriptions, reports In-Stat. The primary reason for this increase was strong growth in the Indian market, which more than doubled to about 9 million subscribers at the end of 2008.

“India now has five pay DTH satellite providers with a sixth expected to enter the market early in 2009,” says Mike Paxton, In-Stat analyst. “Additionally, in the Asia/Pacific region, China is likely to introduce a pay DTH satellite service in 2009 or 2010, which will help sustain strong growth in Asia.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

* There will be nearly 200 million DTH pay-TV subscribers worldwide by 2012.
* Worldwide revenues will eclipse $142.7 billion by 2011.
* Eastern Europe had the strongest regional subscriber growth rate in 2008, with an increase of 63.5 percent over 2007. 
* Subscribers in Russia more than doubled from year-end 2007 to Mid-2008 to nearly 3.8 million.