MTV is Europe's top distributed channel
Wednesday, September 26th, 2012MTV is carried by more European operators than any other channel, according to a new report from Digital TV Research. However, the TV Channel Distribution in Europe report points out that several other channels are close behind.
The 168-page report covers 238 international channels/networks across 152 major operators in 34 EMEA countries. Of the total, 67 channels (28%) transmit in high definition (HD).
Top channels carriage by number of operators
Group Channel No of operators --------- --------------------------- --------------- Viacom MTV 123 Disney Disney Channel 122 Discovery Discovery Channel 121 Fox National Geographic Channel 120 Eurosport Eurosport 115
Source: Digital TV Research
Report author Simon Murray said: “No channel appears on every single platform. MTV is the leader as it is distributed by 123 operators – or 81% of the total. However, only 24 channels are distributed by more than half of the 152 operators covered.”
Top HD channels carriage by number of operators
Group Channel No of operators --------- ------------------------------ --------------- Fox National Geographic Channel HD 100 Eurosport Eurosport HD 91 Disney Disney XD 75 Fox Nat Geo Wild HD 67 Discovery Discovery HD Showcase 66
Source: Digital TV Research
HD channels are growing in importance as operators are eager to give subscribers something new. The UK’s BSkyB leads in HDTV provision, by offering more than 60 HD channels. National Geographic provides the most distributed HD channel. In fact, the top distributed HD channels are all versions of well-known brands.
Companies stress the importance that a stable of channels has for pan-European success. In this report, 13 groups contributed 228 channels – or 96% of the total. Distribution of the channels ranges from pan-European to a single territory.
Not all channels want widespread carriage. Some channels can gain sway with operators by offering exclusive carriage. In several cases, this report reveals how a channel can be on the basic tier in one country and on a higher tier in another country. Furthermore, several channels are tailored for individual countries or regions to fill specific gaps.
Other channels insist on receiving carriage/affiliate fees, which can put off some operators. Apart from the reluctance to pay carriage fees, some operators carry fewer international channels as the domestic market provides a plethora of thematic channels.
Therefore, most operators only carry 50-60 of these channels. The exception to this rule is Sky in the UK and Ireland, which carries more than 90 channels.
More: TV Channel Distribution in Europe
Links: Market Research Store
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