The number of pay-TV subscribers has grown steadily in Serbia in the last few years and amounted to 1.55 million in 2013.
According to the Cable Operators Association of Serbia, it stood at 1.44 million a year earlier and less than one million (922,000) in 2008.
Cable penetration among the population has also increased, rising from 19.9% in 2012 to 21.62% last year. Cable accounted for 70% (1.09 million) of pay-TV subscribers, with DTH and IPTV claiming 216,000 and 244,000 customers respectively.
Interestingly, while the figures for cable and IPTV were up on the previous year’s 1.04 million and 177,000, that for DTH was lower than the 223,000 in 2012.
The percentage of cable homes receiving digital services also continues to grow, up from 11% in 2011 to 14% in 2012 and 18% last year. Digital cable services offer 78 channels, compared to analogue’s 54.
Pay-TV operators generated revenues of €125 million last year (€109 million in 2012), with cable accounting for 67%, IPTV 19% and DTH 14%.
Meanwhile, there were 1.4 million broadband connections in Serbia in 2013, Revenues, up 20% on a year earlier, accounted for 14.5% of the electronic communications market.
