Strong Cable Digital TV & Broadband Growth In Europe

6% jump in sector revenue to €18.8 bn as Digital TV subscriber growth leads way at 17.4%, followed by double digit internet & telephony growth

LUCERNE, Switzerland — Cable Congress — Latest figures released today by Cable Europe show that the European cable industry’s ongoing investments in next generation internet access and digital television keeps paying off. With new product innovations following one after the other, the industry announced strong 2010 year-end numbers.

Manuel Kohnstamm, President, Cable Europe said: “The cable industry showed steady growth through the economic crisis, but now is really jumping ahead in performance. The digitization of television is re-energizing our core TV product markets and our next generation 100Mb+ Internet products – and recent 1Gb+ trials – are sending competitive shockwaves through Europe.”

Newly released YE2010 figures show that total revenue for the industry grew by 6% to €18.8 bn (compared to 3% in 2009) in 2010. That growth was realized significantly in cable’s core TV market where the ongoing digitization has resulted in a 6% total TV revenue growth (compared to 1.6% in 2009). DTV revenue is up 23% and VOD revenue is up 26%.

The new data from IHS Screen Digest shows that, on the subscriber side, the industry has passed the 100 million RGU mark in Europe with continued double digit subscriber growth for DTV (17.4%), internet (11%) and telephony (11%).

“We have a history of investing for the long term and I’m delighted that our investments are being recognized as a strategic advantage in Europe’s competitive digital environment,” said Caroline Van Weede, Managing Director, Cable Europe. “The 6% sector growth speak is only part of our story of investment-driven innovation. We are attracting millions of European consumers who consider quality connectivity key to their daily lives. We are now more than ever a threatening contender to the incumbent telecom operators of Europe.”

The prospects and challenges for Europe’s cable agenda will be keenly debated in Lucerne today, where top executives from the Cable industry meet for the annual Cable Congress. With speakers including Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, Adrian von Hammerstein, CEO of Kabel Deutschland, Rosalia Portela, Chief Executive Officer of ONO, Bernard Dijkhuizen of Ziggo, and Andrew Barron, COO at Virgin Media the event, which lasts from 15-17 February, is the prime venue for Europe’s cable and ICT industry leaders and other senior stakeholders.