Pay-TV is still relatively cheap in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) compared to average income.
According to Levente Málnay, EVP, AMC Networks International, Hungarians comparably pay less than half than Germans, while the British pay five times as much as Romanians.
Speaking in in a panel discussion at entitled Pay-TV: Global trends v CEE trends at NEM in Dubrovnik, he added that cord cutting in countries such as the US and UK is a financial excuse to save money. Meanwhile, Dobromira Marincheva, CCO of Bulgaria’s leading pay-TV operator Bulsatcom, said that a study undertaken by the company showed that two out of seven households in the country have two or more pay-TV subscriptions.
She also spoke about the proprietary services Bulsatcom has launched, including three film channels.
Zbigniew Pruski, commercial director, BBC Studios, was of the view that interest in pay-TV in CEE is strong and will remain so for at least the next two years, However, looking 3-5 years ahead doesn’t make sense, given the speed the market is changing, though growth will come from OTT and digital.