Key Features

TV viewing is widespread in Egypt—but smartphones enjoy greater reach and attention.

• Nearly 86% of internet users in Egypt ages 16 to 64 polled in Q1 2019 watched traditional TV in the previous month, according to GlobalWebIndex/Publicis Media. Usage was even higher among females, older respondents and those in more affluent households. In addition, 53.1% of those surveyed viewed TV shows via broadcasters’ on-demand/catch-up services. Some 48.3% said they had recorded live TV programming to watch later.
• Nearly eight in 10 internet users had watched video-on-demand (VOD) in the prior month. Penetration was higher among respondents ages 16 to 34 than in older age groups. Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) is much more limited, however, with fewer than 41% of the sample identifying as recent viewers. Egypt, like most countries in the Middle East and Africa, has not been a top priority for the major global SVOD providers. These have so far focused on building audiences in more fully developed economies with better infrastructure, such as those in Western Europe.
• Smartphone ownership is nearly universal in Egypt, reaching 97.1% of internet users ages 16 to 64, including 98.0% of those living in the top 25% of households, ranked by income. Nearly 17% of internet users also owned a feature phone. The centrality of mobile devices is reflected in time spent figures. Mobile activities accounted for 4 hours, 7 minutes (4:07) per day, on average. Only seven of the 41 countries polled by GlobalWebIndex in 2019 posted a longer average mobile time spent.
• PCs and tablets were not far behind mobile, however, averaging 3:48 daily. Though many consumers used a mobile phone long before they had access to a larger digital screen, a significant number (71.4%) had a PC. One in four internet users had a tablet, with a higher concentration among affluent respondents, females and 35- to 44-year-olds.