The number of Western European pay-TV subscribers will fall by 4 million between 2020 and 2026 to 103 million.
According to the latest report published by Digital TV Research, reflecting the importance of high-speed broadband for homes, IPTV is the top pay-TV platform in terms of subscriber numbers. It will gain 4 million subscribers between 2020 and 2026 to reach 47 million, with pay satellite TV down by 5 million to 18 million and cable down by 2 million to 37 million.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “European operators shifted their emphasis from premium TV to high-speed broadband delivery. This is particularly true in Denmark and Italy – which are at opposite ends of the pay-TV penetration spectrum – where most operators promote OTT platforms ahead of traditional pay-TV ones”.
Pay-TV revenues will decline by $4 billion – 15% – between 2020 and 2026 to reach $23 billion. The pay-TV subscriber count will drop by 4%, so revenues will fall faster, revealing lower TV ARPUs and less emphasis on TV from the operators.
For more information on the Western Europe Pay TV Forecasts report, please contact: Simon Murray, simon@digitaltvresearch.com, Tel: +44 20 8248 5051
