The number of digital homes in Germany on August 1 reached 15,680,000, or 44.2% of the total number of 35,490,000 TV households, according to the latest figures from GfK and AGF.
Digital penetration is inching forward, with 350,000 new homes during the month of July, an increase of 1%. The 40% mark was reached last November. The relative acceleration during the month of July was probably prompted by people buying new TV sets for the FIFA 2010 World Cup football games.
In 1985, GfK began producing German television ratings, first for state-owned broadcasters and later for the Television Research Partnership (AGF), in which ARD, ZDF and the two bit commercial broadcasting groups, RTL Deutschland and ProSiebenSat.1 are working together.