The number of people watching a Christian TV station in the Middle East has increased by 76 percent in the past five years, the broadcaster has claimed.
SAT-7 announced "record viewership numbers" at its Arabic-language channels after a poll of 27,000 people in ten Arab countries about their watching patterns.
The channel said it had 21.5 million viewers, an increase of three quarters in just five years.
More than 10 million of these people watch daily or at least once a week, the research suggested.
"One explanation for the growth might be that many people are deeply distressed by the situation in the Middle East: they have lost trust and hope in both their religious and political leadership, and they are looking for divine help and guidance," said Dr Terence Ascott, Founder and CEO of SAT-7.
"The messages of faith and hope that SAT-7 broadcasts are very attractive to many," he added.
The figures found that audience numbers are especially high in Egypt but it also recorded large numbers in North Africa, particularly in Algeria and Morocco.
There are also a significant number of viewers in Syria and Saudi Arabia.
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Article by Antony Bushfield
Antony Bushfield is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
