Despite the currently bleak economic climate, European pay-TV operators are continuing to add subscribers. According to a report from Strategy Analytics, Europe’s top ten providers added close to 1.5 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2011.
BSkyB remains the largest pay-TV service provider in Western Europe, declaring 10.1 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2011. At the same time French IPTV operators SFR and Free each saw their strongest first quarter results in four years.
“Pay TV in Europe has shown remarkable resilience,” said Ben Piper, Director of the Strategy Analytics Multiplay Market Dynamics service, “especially when viewed against the backdrop of persistently high unemployment rates and strained household budgets.”
Satellite continues to be the dominant access provider, but IPTV continues to make progress, IPTV operators tracked by Strategy Analytics adding one million new subscribers in the first quarter.
The report, Digital Television Operator Performance Benchmarking: Europe Q1’ 11, summarizes quarterly subscriber growth trends for over 65 European Digital Television Operators. In addition to tracking subscribers and selected financial metrics, the report also provides operator-level subscriber forecasts for 2011.
