Satellite reigns over cable in Europe, says SES

More homes in Europe now receive TV services via satellite than terrestrial or cable networks, according to SES.

The satellite operator’s Satellite Monitor report for 2011 found that 84 million TV homes in Europe used DTH as their primary TV reception mode, a rise of 22% in four years. Terrestrial TV services were received by 79.4 million homes, down 5% on 2010, while cable services were delivered to 69.2 million homes, a decrease of 3%. IPTV services saw a 33% increase in homes, but accounted for just 16 million in total.

Satellite is also the leading digital infrastructure, reaching nearly 44% of all 186 million digital TV homes in Europe. The digitisation rate for satellite is 97%, compared with 70% for terrestrial reception and 48% for cable.

According to SES, the main growth markets for satellite in 2011 were the UK, Germany, Ukraine, Poland and Italy.

“This success confirms our view that satellite reception is the most attractive and future-proof mode for households to watch TV”, said Norbert Hölzle, senior-vice president commercial Europe. “The trend in Germany, where satellite overtook cable for the first time in history, is confirmed in the UK as well as in Europe overall, where satellite outgrew the other reception modes. The number and variety of channels, the quality of the broadcast, and the large reach of satellite remain compelling arguments for households to decide for a satellite dish.”

SES’s Satellite Monitor is based on more than 62,000 interviews, conducted by market research institutes under the lead of TNS Infratest, Germany.