Western Europe TV market worth €98bn
October 6, 2016
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The Western European TV market was worth €97.7 billion at the end of 2015, growing by 0.9 per cent year-on-year, according to the annual report from Rome-based ITMedia Consulting.
The pay-TV segment remained practically stable confirming the trend of stagnation, after years of constant growth, with turnover of €44 billion (+0.5 per cent y/y). Growth was highest in the UK, while most other markets in Western Europe saw negative growth rates (for example; -0.7 per cent in Italy and -2 per cent in France).
While the standard pay-TV model is faltering, the IPTV segment grew by nearly 64 per cent between 2011 and 2015. The number of subscribers to SVoD services reached 5.8 million (in Italy 600,000), thanks to lower subscription fees compared to the standard pay-TV packages.
On the free-to-air front, advertising investments have recovered (+2.7 per cent), reaching €31.8 billion, thanks to significant growth both in the UK (7 per cent) and Germany (+6 per cent). However, growth in Italy and France was limited (both below 1 per cent).