Russia’s pay-TV subscriber base grew by only 1.6% in 2020, compared to 2.5% a year earlier.
This, according to the latest report produced by TMT Consulting, was due to the market approaching saturation, with pay-TV penetration reaching 81%.
While IPTV remained the main driver for growth in packages also containing broadband internet, cable and DTH continued to lose subscribers.
Meanwhile, pay-TV revenues increased by only 1.5% in 2020, compared to 8.6% a year earlier. At the same time, only a few large operators increased their prices, while in the IPTV sector discounts resulted in a decrease in ARPU.
TMT Consulting says that although Russia’s telecom market contracted by 0.7% to R1.728 trillion (€1.931 billion) in 2020, it is expected to rebound this year, growing by 2.4% to R1.770 trillion. This will be despite the effects of the pandemic, at least in the first half of 2021.
Broadband TV News notes that the 2020 figures contrast with those provided by the Analytical Credit Rating Agency (ACRA).
