Knowing that many families in Lebanon are facing a season of pain and displacement after months of...
While 2020 was an extraordinarily hard year for many, it was also a year in which God was on the move in extraordinary ways. Soaring audience engagement (up to 30% overall growth)* with SAT-7 channels showed that amid COVID-19, the hope of Christ shared through television touched more people than ever in the Middle East and North Africa.
The growth in engagement was especially marked for the channels that serve Arabic-speaking children and Turkish viewers, as well as SAT-7 ACADEMY education programs. Audience engagement for SAT-7 KIDS climbed by 90 percent (to 47,300 contacts). Contacts for the Turkish channel, SAT-7 TÜRK, rose 120 percent (to 25,300), and audience engagement for SAT-7 ACADEMY soared by 328 percent (to 47,500). Between January and September 2020, SAT-7 received 310,000 audience engagements in total, almost a third more than during the same period in 2019.
As millions in the region faced months of the COVID-19 lockdown and its severe effects on health and incomes, many depended on SAT-7 as a trusted source of spiritual and emotional support, companionship, and even health advice.
A worship concert filmed on the roof of SAT-7’s Beirut studio lifted spirits after the Beirut explosion.
From the beginning of the pandemic, and even when an explosion in Beirut caused mass destruction and trauma, SAT-7 studios in Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom resolved to maintain as much live programming as possible. Our belief is that it is essential to remain alongside our millions of viewers in perplexing and unfamiliar times.
The incredible blessing of this year [2020] has been to serve the people of the region as they coped with unprecedented challenges.”
–Rita El-Mounayer, SAT-7 CEO
As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, the value of television to connect and support viewers remains at the forefront. SAT-7 continues to forge a path ahead in 2021, including the landmark launch of its new video-on-demand service (SAT-7 PLUS) and a new strategy for engaging viewers on social media.
“SAT-7 continues its work to bring the Gospel into more homes,” says El-Mounayer. “To support more families as they welcome Christ into their lives, and give the spiritual encouragement so badly needed in the world today as people stay home and continue to seek resources for education, entertainment, and spiritual fellowship.”
*SAT-7 defines audience engagement as one or more exchanges between a viewer and a SAT-7 audience relations team through phone calls, text messages, or social media platforms, covering one question or topic.
In 2023, at least 82% of your gift went directly to fund programs building up women, children, and families across the Middle East. Functional expenses (all entities).
