Italy sees drop in number of TV channels
February 18, 2016
By Branislav Pekic in Rome
Italy ended 2015 with 406 TV channels, or eight fewer than in 2014, according to data published by the Association of Italian Radio and TV Broadcasters (Confindustria Radio TV).
The figure includes both free-to-air and pay-TV channels aired on the national digital terrestrial multiplexes and the Sky Italia and TivùSat digital satellite platforms, as well as the Time Shift +1 versions (39), HD (95) and foreign language channels (55).
The result represents a trend reversal, after an uninterrupted period of growth since 2012, the year of completion of the switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting, when the number of receivable channels in Italy was 385 (+5 per cent).
In 2015, the total number of channels present on the DTT platform was 130, up 3 per cent over the previous year, while the number of satellite TV channels fell from 343 to 335.
The number of FTA channels increased from 159 to 163 in the past year, which is 35 more (+27 per cent) than in 2012, thanks to the development of new thematic channels previously only available on pay-TV. On the other hand, the number of pay-TV channels dropped by 12 units.
The HD offer, mostly available on satellite, went from 65 channels in 2012 to 95 in 2015.