A recent survey conducted by the globally established consulting firm, Kearney finds how 1 in 3 residents across the KSA prefers watching local Arabic TV over international channels. The survey is a part of a series exploring the trends in key sectors that support Saudi Arabia’s economic development and national ambitions.

The survey unfolds a new demand for more quality content with 21% of respondents claiming that they would like to see more local content in Arabic on television and other media platforms. To meet this need, 63% of respondents in the country are willing to pay a premium with 25% willing to pay a fee to avoid advertisements on local platforms.

The study noted a higher willingness to pay for high-quality video on demand (42%) than other content mediums, including social media (37%), television (32%), gaming websites (32%), online news portals (22%), print news publications (19%), podcasts (19%) and radio (17%).

Respondents in the age group of 18-34 years are more likely to pay for quality content compared to those above 35 years. This demand is particularly increasing for mediums such as video on demand (96%) as compared to newspapers and magazines.

“Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s youngest and most digitally attuned markets with the population consuming vast terabytes of video, audio, and gaming content. The youth has not only been using various platforms for visual self-expression and storytelling, but also to bolster the cultural identity of the nation, which has been incredibly empowering,” said Adel Belcaid, Head of Communications, Media, and Technology at Kearney Middle East.

“Under these favorable demographics and the directives of Vision 2030, the Kingdom stands to become one of largest content hubs. There is a huge opportunity to unleash the full potential of the media sector, by boosting local content development, upgrading talent and infrastructure, and enhancing regulation and governance framework,” Belcaid added.

Kearney will soon be releasing a report on the rapidly evolving media landscape in the KSA  – Shaping the future of the media sector in Saudi Arabia on their website.