For the first time ever, the number of German households receiving TV via satellite has broken the 17 million mark. In the first half of 2011, direct-broadcast satellite was beamed into 430,000 additional households, taking the total up to 17.1 million. By contrast, cable TV is losing in popularity. The first six months of the year saw 260,000 households switch to a different form of TV reception. This has reduced the reach of cable TV to 17.9 million households. This were the findings of the latest Satellite Monitor results for the first half of 2011. The research was carried out by market research company TNS Infratest on behalf of SES ASTRA and in cooperation with the broadcasting institutions of the German states.
Digital terrestrial TV has also fallen in popularity. It has lost 300,000 households, bringing its coverage down to 1.7 million. However, internet TV has continued to grow this year. For the first time ever, IPTV in Germany has reached the one-million mark. The above figures are based on the latest Satellite Monitor results for the first half of 2011. The research was carried out by market research company TNS Infratest on behalf of SES ASTRA and in cooperation with the broadcasting institutions of the German states. Between May and June 2011, TNS conducted 8,000 interviews across the country.
Satellite remains the driving force behind digitalization in Germany. There are now 14.5 million households using DVB-S – digital broadcasting via satelleite – which brings the percentage of homes that have gone digital to 85. Cable TV users are also going digital, but with the proportion at just 43 percent, the majority (10.1 million households) are still receiving analog services.
Just 2.5 million households still receive analog satellite services. That means the number of users fell by 400,000 in the first six months of 2011. The remaining homes have just eight months to make the move to digital satellite TV. On 30 April 2012 analogue satellite TV services in Germany will be permanently shut down.
Among the highlights of the findings include:
• 17.1 million households now get TV via satellite
• IPTV is on the up, but cabel and DVB-T are losing subscribers
• 85 percent of households are already receiving digital satellite TV
• Number of households receiving analogue satellite falls to 2.5 million
• HDTV is booming: almost a third of digital satellite households watch in HD
