The German cable association ANGA has said that with 18 million connected homes and a 48.6% market share, cable remains the leading distribution platform for television in Germany. Satellite comes second with 47.4%
ANGA bases its figures on research by GfK and is a clear response to Astra’s claim that satellite now leading delivery mechanism for German TV.
The figures that ANGA is now producing stem from GfK and can be found on its website (available in German only).
In a statement, ANGA president Thomas Braun said: “Despite the growing competition our member companies have maintained their leadership role in the TV market serving more than 18 million television households in the past year. In the future, interactive television is particularly important for the connection of TV services and broadband internet through a single connection to the DSL-TV and distance to satellite dishes in 2011 has continued to grow. With more than 3.5 million households, which take both TV and internet, the cable companies in this highly interactive media world remain completely unchallenged. Who beta on television alone, we believe enters in a one-way street that will eventually end in a cul-de-sac. ”
Braun also made a few remarks about the difference in satellite and cable distribution, “It is important to note that satellite DTH and digital terrestrial reception only appear superficially to be free of charge: in fact, ARD and ZDF pay more than €60 million for satellite broadcasting and more than €240 million terrestrial distribution.
According to ANGA, this leads to a distortion of competition at the expense of cable operators that receive either significantly less or even no payments for the distribution of these channels. In addition, ARD and ZDF receive considerable rights from the cablers, both for author’s rights and auxiliary rights.
President Braun: “The broadcasters should put an end to the wasteful spending of the license fee and should contribute fairly to the costs of all infrastructures of all competing network operators.”
