German pay TV revenues up

Germany’s pay TV and paid VoD market grew by more than 10% last year and is expected to increase by double digits again this year, according to the country’s commercial broadcaster association.

Frank Giersberg

A report from VPRT said revenues from pay TV and paid VoD services were up 12% to €2.49bn (US$2.74bn) in 2015, up from €2.22bn in 2014.

The trade body added that it expected revenues this year to grow by up to 11% in Germany, with similar growth in German-speaking territories set to take revenues from €2.7bn last year to in excess of €3bn in 2016.

Germany has traditionally not embraced pay TV, given the amount of free TV available, but the market has been growing over recent years. There are now 105 pay channels on offer, including 43 entertainment nets and 16 documentary/factual channels, according to VPRT.

Pay TV subscriber numbers were up 6% to 7.4 million in 2015 with VPRT predicting that figure would rise to 7.8 million in 2016.

Frank Giersberg, VPRT’s director of market and business development, said the “key driver” behind the record figures had been “a rich variety of programmes and services, be it documentaries, children’s programmes, music, sport or entertainment.”

UPDATE: Despite the growth in paid VoD revenues, Vivendi-owned service Watchever is to close by the end of the year, C21 reported today.