Arab States Broadcasting Union

What Arab States Broadcasting Union does

Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) is a regional intergovernmental broadcasting organization founded in 1969 and headquartered in Tunis, Tunisia, with approximately 51-100 employees. It coordinates radio and television activities among Arab state-owned broadcasting organizations, providing shared technical infrastructure, content exchange services, and professional training rather than operating as a commercial broadcaster. Its core function is to act as a neutral multilateral coordination layer for Arab media.

ASBU operates a platform-plus-services architecture comprising five interconnected product lines. The satellite distribution layer includes the Unified Arab Package (الباقة العربية الموحدة) of 21 Arab satellite channels coordinated with Arabsat, plus five HD digital television exchange channels across Arabsat 5A (30.5°E) and Eutelsat E21B (21.5°E). The IP layer comprises the MINOS satellite-based multimedia exchange system (developed with Newtech, central station in Algeria), the ASBU Cloud Platform for live streaming and file transfers, and an IPTV service distributed via servers in North America and Europe carrying 44 Arabic channels. Supporting services include the ASBU Media Training Academy, the annual Arab Media Festival (currently in its 26th edition), and direct content exchange for television, radio, sports, and event coverage. Operated subsidiaries include the Arab Center for Exchange in Algeria and the Arab Center for Radio and Television Training in Damascus.

ASBU's business model is intergovernmental rather than commercial: it is funded by member-state contributions and operates on a cost-shared basis with technology partners such as Arabsat, Globecast, AVA (Canada), and Newtech. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no revenue figures are available. Strategic partnerships with Globecast reportedly delivered a 30% cost reduction alongside a 100% capacity increase for satellite transmission, illustrating the unit economics leverage ASBU obtains through aggregated demand on behalf of its members.

Name

Arab States Broadcasting Union

Legal name

Arab States Broadcasting Union

Website

https://asbu.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1969 in Tunis that coordinates radio and television exchange, satellite distribution, and media training among Arab state-owned broadcasting organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcasting Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Broadcasting Content Distribution & Interconnection (Sat/IP feeds) (MPABADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Production Asset Collaboration (shared bins, proxies, live collaboration) (MPAHANAG)

Keywords

• Broadcasting infrastructure services
• Satellite content exchange
• Media training programs
• IPTV distribution
• Arab media coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunis

HQ country

Tunisia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ASBU provides intergovernmental broadcasting coordination services for Arab state broadcasters, operating shared satellite and cloud-based content exchange infrastructure (MINOS platform, ASBU Cloud, Unified Arab Package, Digital Television Exchange, and IPTV), along with professional training through the ASBU Media Training Academy and the annual Arab Media Festival. The organization enables content exchange, joint event coverage, and technical cooperation among its member radio and television broadcasters across the Arab world.

Product overview

Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) operates a unified platform-plus-services architecture comprising five interconnected product lines. The core infrastructure includes the Unified Arab Package (الباقة العربية الموحدة) with 21 satellite channels coordinated through ArabSat and Eutelsat partnerships, the MINOS Platform for automated satellite-based multimedia exchange with HD capabilities, and the ASBU Cloud Platform for live broadcasting and file-based content exchange. The Digital Television Exchange Channels provide five HD broadcast channels across multiple orbital positions. The IPTV Service extends reach via internet protocol across North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Supporting services include the Media Training Academy, the Arab Media Festival, and direct content exchange services for television, radio, sports, and event coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASBU Cloud (الأسبو كلاود): Cloud platform consisting of high-protection servers on global cloud networks and ultra-fast internet connections for content exchange and audiovisual applications.
• MINUS/MINUS Plus (منصة المينوس)
• Unified Arab Package (الباقة العربية الموحدة)
• Digital Television Services
• Arab Media Training Academy

Products and services

• Unified Arab Package (الباقة العربية الموحدة) A unified satellite television package comprising 21 Arabic satellite channels coordinated by ASBU and Arabsat, providing shared satellite capacity, technical interoperability, and economic benefits for participating Arab broadcasters and viewers across the Arab world, Europe, and parts of Asia and Africa.
• MINOS Satellite Platform (منصة المينوس) Satellite-based multimedia exchange system developed with NewTech, with a central station in Algeria and remote terminal stations. Provides automated booking via application interface, voice conferencing, centralized content storage, monitoring interfaces, and remote terminal maintenance for radio, television, and data transmission among Arab broadcasters.
• ASBU Cloud Platform (الأسبو كلاود) Cloud-based network with protected servers on global cloud platforms and ultra-high-speed internet connections, providing applications and services for audiovisual content exchange, live streaming exchanges, and file transfers with editorial information.
• Digital Television Exchange Channels Five HD exchange channels (3 on Arabsat 5A at 30.5° East and 2 on Eutelsat E21B at 21.5° East) for digital television content exchange among Arab broadcasters, covering the Arab region, most of Europe, and parts of Asia.
• IPTV Service (الباقة التلفزيونية عبر بروتوكول الإنترنت) IPTV service comprising 44 Arabic channels from participating member broadcasters, distributed via servers in North America and Europe, enabling Arab broadcasters to reach viewers globally with guaranteed broadcast quality and reduced costs.
• ASBU Media Training Academy (أكاديمية التدريب الإعلامي) Media training academy providing professional development programs and courses for broadcasting professionals across Arab states, serving member broadcasters' capacity-building needs.
• Arab Radio and Television Festival (المهرجان العربي للإذاعة والتلفزيون) Annual media festival and competition for Arab radio and television content, currently in its 26th edition, convening Arab broadcasters for competition and professional exchange.
• Exchange Services (خدمات التبادل) Content exchange services coordinating television programs, radio broadcasts, sports programming, and event coverage among Arab broadcasting organizations, enabling joint and shared media production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 386,000 average monthly viewing hours for IPTV service

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Strategic partnership for the Arab Unified Package (الباقة العربية الموحدة), supervised jointly by ASBU and Arabsat. This is considered one of the greatest successes in Arab joint media work, providing practical, technical, economic, and strategic benefits to participating satellite channels and Arab viewers globally.
• GlobecastcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016Partnership for satellite broadcasting services. ASBU negotiated competitive prices with Globecast offering 30% cost reduction for 100% capacity increase compared to current costs.
• AVA (Canadian Company)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for broadband/internet service. AVA develops applications for mobile phones (iPhone and Galaxy), provides dedicated high-capacity receivers, and utilizes advanced MPEG-4 encoding system. Statistics from AVA show monthly viewing hours growing from 15,000 in 2012 to 386,000 average monthly hours by 2016.
• NewtechcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for the MINOS Network (الاسبو-مينوس), a satellite-based multimedia exchange system. Newtech is a leading company in satellite communications that developed the system with ASBU.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Welle (DW): DW is Germany's international public broadcaster providing satellite, IPTV, and cloud-based content distribution globally, including Arabic-language programming. It represents the kind of large public broadcaster that operates distribution infrastructure comparable to ASBU's exchange platforms.
• Al Jazeera Media Network: Al Jazeera is the dominant Arabic-language public/private broadcaster operating its own satellite, IPTV, and digital infrastructure. While ASBU is a coordinating union rather than a competitor, Al Jazeera represents the scale of broadcast operations ASBU's infrastructure supports and could be considered a member/partner ecosystem participant.
• France Médias Monde (France 24/RFI): France Médias Monde operates France 24 and RFI, providing multilingual (including Arabic) satellite and digital broadcasting infrastructure. It is a relevant peer as a publicly-funded international broadcaster running multi-platform distribution at scale similar to ASBU's mandate.
• CGTN (China Global Television Network): CGTN is a major state-backed international broadcaster that engages with ASBU at events like the Global Video Media Forum and operates comparable satellite, IPTV, FAST, and cloud distribution infrastructure reaching global audiences including the Arab world.

Others

• Arabsat: Arabsat is ASBU's core satellite infrastructure partner and co-supervisor of the Unified Arab Package. While Arabsat is a satellite operator rather than a competing union, it is the most strategically coupled entity to ASBU's distribution architecture and member-channel economics.

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA): CBA supports public broadcasters across Commonwealth nations with training, content exchange, and technical collaboration — a comparable intergovernmental/NGO broadcasting coordination model to ASBU, though serving a different geography and membership base.
• URTI (International Union of Radio and Television): URTI is an international union focused on radio and television exchange and cooperation among public broadcasters, with shared training and content exchange mandates closely paralleling ASBU's mission for Arab states.
• Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU): ABU is a regional broadcasting union covering Asia-Pacific, structurally identical to ASBU: an intergovernmental industry body coordinating content exchange, training, and shared technical infrastructure among member broadcasters across a defined geography.
• European Broadcasting Union (EBU): The EBU is the closest direct peer to ASBU — a non-profit intergovernmental union coordinating broadcasters across European states. Both operate shared satellite/technical infrastructure, member-funded exchanges, and training programs on a regional intergovernmental basis.

Regional players

• Circom Regional: Circom Regional is the association of European regional public broadcasters, coordinating training, content exchange, and technical collaboration at a sub-regional level — directly analogous to ASBU's role for Arab broadcasters but in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://asbu.net
• Facebookfacebook.com/asbuofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asbu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arab States Broadcasting Union