W. European pay-TV market sees 4.6% growth
October 18, 2021
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Total TV market revenues in Western Europe amounted to over €100 billion in 2020, a 1.5 per cent decrease compared to 2019, and level with 2018 results.
However, this trend is set to reverse in 2021, as a result of the recovery from the Covid-19 situation and due to an increase in advertising market revenues, which fell sharply during the pandemic.
The forecasts come from XIXth Annual Report Turning Digital – The Game Changer, published by Rome-based ITMedia Consulting and which analysed 17 countries in Western Europe.
Despite a difficult year, the pay-TV sector, which accounts for more than half of total TV revenues, grew by 4.6 per cent compared to 2019, a somewhat surprising result, boosted by streaming and VoD services (+30 per cent).
AVoD is in a consolidation phase in Europe and has yet to become a significant resource in the online advertising market, which is showing consistent growth rates in 2021.
ITMedia Consulting estimates that total AVoD revenues in Western Europe in 2020 will account for around 16 per cent of TV advertising.
The BVoD segment (AVoD by broadcasters) is also set for strong growth this year.
Although TV advertising fell 12.5 per cent to €26.4 billion, the first six months of 2021 show a substantial recovery, although the 2019 value is unlikely to be reached.
TV advertising is still losing share to online advertising, which has become the leading resource in all European countries analysed.