Number of TV channels in Europe still growing

Number of TV channels in Europe still growing, driven by HD simulcast

The total number of TV channels established in the EU grew by 49% from 3615 TV channels in 2009 to 5370 in 2015 (excluding local channels and windows). The markets with the highest number of established channels in 2015 were the UK, France, Germany and Italy. This data comes from the MAVISE database of the European Audiovisual Observatory. Consult this free TV and VOD database here.

HD channels accounted for 57% of the net increase of channels in the period from 2009 to 2015. Other genres with significant net channel growth in the same time period were sport (11% of the total net increase) and entertainment channels (6% of the total net increase).

Among the countries that host a significant number of TV channels several are specifically targeting other national markets and this includes the numerous linguistic versions of pan-European branded channels (many of which are American). These major hubs include the United Kingdom, France, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden.