The International Communications Market Report
Source: data.gov.uk (2019-08-28)

This annual report provides comparative international data on the communications sector. The aim of the report is to benchmark the UK communications sector against a range of comparator countries in order to assess how the UK is performing in an international context. The report compares the availability, take-up and use of services in the UK and 17 comparator countries - France, Germany, Italy, the US, Japan, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Brazil, Russia, India, China and Nigeria, although we focus on a smaller subset of comparator countries for some of our analysis.
This report is intended to be used in a number of ways: to benchmark the UK’s communications sector, to learn from market and regulatory developments in other countries, and to provide the context for Ofcom’s regulatory initiatives. It also contributes to the richness of the information we draw upon, better enabling us to understand how our actions and priorities can influence outcomes for citizens and consumers, and for communications markets generally.

The sectors covered include television and radio broadcasting; internet on-demand content; telecommunications and (since 2012) the postal market.

The final edition of the ICMR was in 2017.

137 
 
 
 
 
 
 
International Communications 
Market Report  2015 
 
 
 
3 
  
 
 
 
Television and audio-
3
visual 
 

138 
 
Section 
 
Page 
 Key market developments in the TV and audio-visual 
3.1
markets 
139 
3.1.1 
Industry metrics and summary 
139 
3.1.2 
Global TV revenues 
140 
3.1.3 
Consumers continue to embrace value-added services 
141 
 The TV and audio-visual industries 
147 
3.2
3.2.1 
Summary 
147 
3.2.2 
Television revenues among comparator countries 
147 
3.2.3 
TV revenue per head among comparator countries 
152 
3.2.4 
TV licence fee in the UK third highest among comparator countries 
154 
3.2.5 
Varied results for advertising revenue among free-to-view broadcasters 
154 
3.2.6 
Increasing compound annual growth among most pay-TV operators 
155 
3.2.7 
Revenue from UK TV exports at £1.2bn in 2014 
158 
 TV and audio-visual consumers 
161 
3.3
3.3.1 
Summary 
161 
3.3.2 
Digital television take-up on main sets 
161 
3.3.3 
TV platform mix across comparator countries 
163 
3.3.4 
Pay-TV take-up 
167 
3.3.5 
Broadcast television viewing 
170 
Contents  
 

139 
 Key market developments in the TV 
3.1
and audio-visual markets 
3.1.1 Industry metrics and summary 
The TV and audio-visual chapter focuses on three topics: key market developments in the 
sector, industry revenue, and trends among TV and audio-visual consumers.  It includes a 
global overview and country-level analyses of the 18 comparator countries. 
 
Key market developments details some of the major TV and audio-visual industry 
trends during the past year, with analysis of global revenue, trends in value-added 
services such as high definition TV (HDTV), digital video recorders (DVRs) and 3D 
TVs. 
 
The TV and audio-visual industries section focuses on key revenue trends among 
comparator countries, including the financial results of major pay-TV and free-to-air 
broadcasters. 
 
The TV and audio-visual consumer section examines patterns of digital television 
take-up as well as how viewers in different countries consume broadcast television 
and online TV. 
 
TV industry metrics: 2014 
Figure 3.1
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom  
Market developments during the past year include: 
 
Global TV revenues (comprising broadcast advertising, channel subscription 
and public licence fees only) increased by 5% in 2014 to reach £244bn. 
Subscription revenues continue to be the key driver of this growth, rising by 5.4% to 
reach £125bn, just over half of total revenue. Advertising revenue grew by 5.3% (or 
£5bn) while income from public funding grew by a more modest 1.7%.      
 
 
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
NED
SWE
POL
SGP
KOR
BRA
RUS
IND
CHN
NGA
TV revenue (£bn)
14.0
8.4
20.4
6.1
102.9
19.1
4.1
3.1
2.5
1.8
2.1
0.6
5.5
11.4
3.6
5.1
21.9
0.6
Revs change (% YOY)
4.0
0.4
2.9
-2.3
4.1
3.1
-0.3
9.1
-2.2
1.9
5.1
0.6
7.2
12.2
7.4
14.7
10.7
14.8
Revenue per cap (£)
216.4
130.4
247.4
100.2
322.6
150.2
174.3
65.9
146.5 184.3
55.7
101.9
111.7
56.5
25.1
4.0
16.0
3.2
from advertising
61
40
64
42
127
66
91
32
46
56
18
60
33
26
18
2
8
0
from subscription
97
56
71
37
195
55
53
29
76
89
36
42
72
30
7
3
8
2
From public funds
58
35
113
21
0
29
30
5
24
40
1
0
7
1
0
0
0
0
TV licence fee¹ 145.50 109.75 174.12 91.59
N/A
80.29
N/A
N/A
N/A
183.91 44.72
N/A
17.31
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Largest 
TV 
platform
Platform
% of 
homes
Dsat
IPTV
Dsat
DTT
Dcab
Dcab
DTT
DTT
Dcab
Acab
Dsat
DTT
IPTV
Dsat
Dsat
Dsat
Dcab
Dsat
45
41
43
73
43
50
67
69
47
26
50
37
30
52
36
42
43
69
DTV take-up (%)
100
95
72
100
96
100
100
99
87
74
86
100
76
72
65
70
84
84
Pay TV take-up (%)
59.5
76.9
55.2
30.1
87.2
69.0
31.6
28.8
98.6
83.1
83.2
62.8
96.7
32.8
65.9
85.2
62.5
22.4
DSO date
2012
2011
2008
2012
2009
2012
2013
2010
2006
2007
2013
2020
2012
2018
2018
N/A
2020
2016
TV viewing (min/day)
220
221
221
262
282
264
204
239
200
153
260
N/A
196
224
239
N/A
157
N/A

140 
 
The UK had the highest proportion of households with an HD television set, of 
all the countries included in our research, with 76% of respondents claiming to 
own one.  
 
 
DVR ownership in 2015 was highest in the UK  and the US, at 33% of 
respondents claiming to own a DVR. 
 
For a detailed analysis of developments in video-on-demand, please refer to Section 1.4 in 
the UK in Context chapter.  
3.1.2 Global TV revenues  
Global TV revenues increased by 5% in 2014 to £244bn 
Ofcom estimates that global TV revenue increased in 2014 by 5.0% year on year, to £244bn: 
up by 4.3% over the four-year period since 2010.  Our analysis of global television revenues 
incorporates three components: net broadcast advertising revenue, TV licence fees and 
subscriptions. It excludes revenues generated from pay-per-view (PPV), video on demand 
(VoD) and over-the-top/streaming (OTT) services.99  
 
Global TV broadcast advertising, public licence fee and channel 
Figure 3.2
subscription revenues 
 
Source: Data derived from PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2015-2019 @ 
www.pwc.com/outlook. Notes: Ofcom is responsible for all growth calculations displayed. Ofcom uses 
an exchange rate of $1.646 to the GBP in line with the IMF average for 2014. All figures expressed in 
nominal terms. 
Growth was driven primarily by continued growth in subscription revenues  
The 5% increase in global television revenues, to £244bn in 2014, was driven primarily by 
continued growth in subscription revenues, which made up just over half of the total included 
revenue. Global subscription revenues increased for the fourth year in a row, from £118bn in 
2013 to £125bn in 2014; a year-on-year increase of 5.4%.  
                                               
99 Online TV revenues are shown in Figure 3.20  
206
216
226
233
244
 180
 190
 200
 210
 220
 230
 240
 250
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Revenue (£bn)
YOY
CAGR 
(4yr)
5.0%
4.3%

141 
Global net advertising revenue (NAR) growth has been steady since 2010, as economic 
conditions have stabilised. The recovery in NAR continued in 2014, with revenues increasing 
by 5.3% (or £5bn) to £99bn. 
As in the three previous years, public funding from TV licence fees was little changed in 
2014, at around £21bn. Revenue from this source has changed little over the four-year 
period, increasing by just 1.4% per year on an average compound basis. 
 
Global TV industry revenues, by source 
Figure 3.3
 
Source: Data derived from PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2015-2019 @ 
www.pwc.com/outlook. Notes: Ofcom is responsible for all growth calculations displayed. Ofcom uses 
an exchange rate of $1.646 to the GBP in line with the IMF average for 2014. All figures expressed in 
nominal terms. 
3.1.3 Consumers continue to embrace value-added services 
By the end of 2014 the UK, Italy, Japan, Australia and Singapore had 100% DTV take-up. 
Digital TV enables consumers to take advantage of a number of value-added services, 
including high-definition television (HDTV) services, which provide the viewer with enhanced 
picture quality and access to a wide variety of HD channels, and digital video recorders 
(DVRs), which enable the user to record, pause and rewind live TV.  
Ownership of HDTV sets highest in the UK 
The UK had the highest proportion of households with HD-ready televisions; 76% of 
respondents claimed to own a high-definition television set. This was closely followed by 
Australia and Spain, with respondents claiming 74% take-up of HDTV sets. However, 
households with a HDTV set do not necessarily have a HDTV service.   
101
108
113
118
125
20
20
20
21
21
85
88
92
94
99
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
All
Annual revenue (%)
YOY
CAGR 
(4yr)
5.3%
3.8%
1.7%
1.4%
5.4%
5.3%
5.0%
4.3%
£244bn
£226bn
£216bn
£233bn
£206bn
Advertising
Public TV 
license fees
Subscriptions

142 
 
Household ownership of high-definition TV sets 
Figure 3.4
 
Source: Ofcom consumer research September – October 2015  
Base: All respondents, UK=1006, FRA=1003, GER=1007, ITA=1003, USA=1009, JPN=1006, 
AUS=1000, ESP=1002, SWE=1004  
Q.3a Which of the following devices do you have in your home?  
Satellite continues to be the main platform for accessing HD services in the UK 
As Figure 3.5 shows, satellite was the leading platform used by households to access HD 
services in the UK in 2014, at 5.1 million homes, while the second-largest platform was 
digital terrestrial (DTT) at 4.3 million homes. The leading platform in Germany was also 
satellite (7.9 million homes), while in France DTT was the largest platform (10.8 million 
homes). The second largest platform for accessing HD services in France was IPTV100 (at 
9.3 million homes).  
This contrasts with the US and Japan, where the leading platform is cable (35.6 million 
homes and 24.4 million homes, respectively). Satellite is the second largest platform for 
accessing HD services in the US and Japan (25.2 million homes and 14.0 million homes 
respectively).  
                                               
100 Internet protocol television (IPTV) is the term used for the television platform that delivers channels 
to viewers using internet protocol (IP) technology over a broadband connection. For the purposes of 
this report, hybrid systems such as BT TV, which provide television services through both an aerial 
and an IP connection, are considered IPTV platforms.  
76
52
62
69
71
35
74
74
59
0
20
40
60
80
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
SWE
Respondents (%)

143 
 
Number of HD homes, by platform and country: 2014 
Figure 3.5
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom. Note: figures are for HD-enabled homes (those having the 
technical means to view HD content and access to sources of HD content). 
Figure 3.6 shows the number of HD services available across the various platforms in five 
comparator countries. Satellite and cable platforms offer the greatest number of HD services 
in these countries. 
In the UK, satellite TV offers the most HD services (88 channels), followed by cable (58 
channels). In France and Germany, where satellite TV also offers the greatest number of HD 
services, 65 and 59 channels are on offer, respectively. In the UK 15 HD channels can be 
accessed over IPTV, while in both France and Germany it is also high, contributing to the 
increasing popularity of the IPTV platform in these countries.  
In the US, the majority of HDTV channels are provided by pay-TV platforms. Satellite offered 
the most channels in 2014, at 214, while cable provided 183 and IPTV 182. Digital terrestrial 
TV offered 14 HD channels in 2014 – the same number as the UK, and fewer than in 
France. 
5.1
6.0
7.9
25.2
14.0
3.3
3.5
35.6
24.4
9.3
9.9
2.3
4.3
10.8
10.4
5.3
12.7
26.4
12.9
81.1
46.0
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK
FRA
GER
USA
JPN
DTT
IPTV
Cable
Satellite
Number of homes (m)

144 
 
Number of HDTV channels: 2014 
Figure 3.6
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom 
Take-up of 3D TV remains low as providers tend to reduce investment in 3D content 
As Figure 3.7 shows, among our European comparator countries, households in the UK, 
Sweden and France were the least likely to have a 3D-ready TV set, at 13%, 12% and 9% 
respectively. Although overall take-up of 3D TV in the UK was low, more than half of those 
with a 3D-ready TV also subscribed to a 3D TV service (62%). In Sweden and France, less 
than half of those with a 3D-ready TV set subscribed to a 3D service.  
The highest take-up of 3D-ready TVs was recorded in Germany, Italy and Spain, at 18% of 
households. Germany also led the way in take-up of 3D services; over three-quarters of 
households in Germany with a 3D-ready TV also had a 3D service.  
The BBC announced in 2013 that it would put on hold its 3D programming, and it has yet to 
resume broadcasting in 3D. In 2015, Sky announced that its dedicated 3D channel would 
close, while maintaining the availability of on-demand 3D content. This followed its decision 
not to air 2014 Premier League matches on its dedicated 3D channel. There has instead 
been an increased focus on promoting ultra-HD (4K and 8K) TV sets, which offer screen 
resolution at least four times the resolution of standard HDTV.  
Number of HD Channels
88
65
59
214
98
58
17
30
183
8
15
33
49
182
14
15
14
7
0
50
100
150
200
250
UK
FRA
GER
USA
JPN
Satellite
Cable
IPTV
DTT

145 
 
Household ownership of 3D-ready TV sets and 3D TV services 
Figure 3.7
 
Source: Ofcom consumer research September - October 2015 
Base: All respondents, UK=1006, FRA=1003, GER=1007, ITA=1003, USA=1009, JPN=1006, 
AUS=1000, ESP=1002, SWE=1004  
Q.3a Which of the following devices do you have in your home? Q3b. Which of the following services 
do you have in your home? 
The UK and the US have the highest ownership of DVRs 
As shown in Figure 3.8, Ofcom’s research shows that DVR ownership in 2015 was highest in 
the UK101 and the US, at 33% of respondents claiming to own a DVR. Among our 
comparator countries, France recorded the lowest level of ownership (16%), followed by 
Spain at 23%.  
                                               
101 This figure is lower than published data from Ofcom’s Technology Tracker in the CMR 2015 which 
covered Q1 2015. The Technology Tracker measures DVR take-up through a series of questions 
relating to ownership of specific branded set-top boxes. A shorter, non-branded, question is used in 
the ICMR research for the purposes of international comparison.  
13
9
18
18
9
7
14
18
12
8
4
14
9
4
3
6
7
4
0
5
10
15
20
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
SWE
3D-ready TV
3D TV service
Respondents (%)

146 
 
Household ownership of DVRs 
Figure 3.8
 
Source: Ofcom consumer research September - October 2015 
Base: All respondents, UK=1006, FRA=1003, GER=1007, ITA=1003, USA=1009, JPN=1006, 
AUS=1000, ESP=1002, SWE=1004  
Q.3a Which of the following devices do you have in your home? 
 
33
16
28
30
33
24
27
23
29
0
10
20
30
40
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
SWE
Respondents (%)

147 
 The TV and audio-visual industries 
3.2
3.2.1 Summary 
This section focuses on the TV and audio-visual industries, looking at six years of key 
revenue trends among our comparator countries, including the advertising revenue of free-
to-air broadcasters and the subscription revenues of the major pay-TV broadcasters.  
 
Revenues among the 18 comparator countries analysed by Ofcom increased 
by 4.8% in 2014, to £233bn. This was driven by year-on-year growth in the BRIC 
countries and Nigeria, with joint revenues increasing by 11.3% in 2014 to £42.6bn. 
 
The total year-on-year growth of the European comparator countries was 2.3% 
in 2014, resulting in revenues of £58.3bn.  This was the lowest growth of the four 
regions included in our analysis, with the BRIC nations (and Nigeria) increasing by 
11.3%, the US by 4.1% and the Asia-Pacific countries by 3.3% in 2014.  
 
Following three consecutive years of decline, Spain recorded the largest 
annual growth in television revenues among the European comparator 
countries in 2014 (9.1%), while Poland and the UK followed at 5.1% and 4.0% 
respectively. Revenues fell in two of the eight European comparator countries: by 
2.3% in Italy and by 2.2% in the Netherlands. 
 
In Germany and the UK, increases in revenue between 2009 and 2014 were 
predominantly driven by pay-TV subscriptions. In the UK, subscription revenue 
represented the largest source of TV income in 2014, while in Germany licence fee 
revenue was the largest source.  
 
Net advertising revenue continues to recover in the UK, with growth of 6.4% 
year-on-year and 32.4% over the five-year period between 2009 and 2014, reaching 
£3.95bn. UK year-on-year advertising revenue was the third-highest among our 
European comparator countries, following Spain at 10.9% and Poland at 6.5%. 
 
 
In 2014, revenues from both short and long-form online TV and video in the UK 
continued to grow, up £278m to £908m in 2014.  However, the US remains the 
largest online TV and video market among our comparator countries; between 2009 
and 2014, online TV and video revenue grew from £1.3bn to £6.8bn. 
3.2.2 Television revenues among comparator countries 
Increase in TV revenues driven by strong growth in BRIC countries and Nigeria in 
2014 
As Figure 3.9 shows, revenue among the 18 comparator countries analysed by Ofcom 
increased by 4.8% in 2014 to total £233bn. The total year-on-year growth of the European 
comparator countries was 2.3% in 2014, resulting in revenues of £58.3bn. This was the 
lowest growth of the four regions included in our analysis. 
The BRIC countries, together with Nigeria, experienced the largest year-on-year growth in 
2014, their joint revenues increasing by 11.3% (or £4.3bn) to £42.6bn. All five countries had 
strong compound annual growth between 2009 and 2014, collectively at 13.2%, with Nigeria 
recording the highest compound annual growth figure at 32.9%, followed by Brazil and China 
(14.2% and 13.0% respectively). 

148 
The revenue gap has widened to over £13bn between the BRIC countries and Nigeria 
combined, and the Asia/Pacific countries, the two regions in our analysis with the lowest TV 
revenues. From a broadly similar level in 2011, the Asia/Pacific countries’ revenue has 
increased by around £1bn a year in the subsequent three years, whereas that of the BRIC 
countries and Nigeria has increased by around £5bn a year.  
The region with the next largest growth in revenue was the US, growing by 4.1% to reach 
£102.9bn in 2014. The US, the country with the largest television market globally in terms of 
revenue, experienced growth driven by both subscription and income from television 
advertising. Over the five-year period since 2009, US revenues have increased by an 
average of 4.0% per annum, more than double the rate of the European comparator 
countries (1.9%).  
 
Total TV industry revenues among comparator countries 
Figure 3.9
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Revenues include advertising, subscriptions and sources 
of public funding only. BRIC is Brazil, Russia, India and China. All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
Overall, the total year-on-year growth of the European comparator countries was 2.3% in 
2014, resulting in revenues of £58.3bn. This represented the lowest growth rate of the four 
regions in our analysis  
Following three years of consecutive decline, Spain recorded the largest proportional growth 
of the eight European countries in our analysis, increasing by 9.1% to £8.4bn. This recovery 
can be explained by strengthening TV advertising revenue. Poland followed, with an 
increase of 5.1%, increasing its five-year annual growth rate to 3.6%, a figure well above the 
European group average of 1.9%. 
Germany and the UK had the next largest absolute increases in TV revenue among the 
European comparator countries in 2014, growing by £0.6bn and £0.5bn respectively. Both 
were driven mainly by subscription revenues, while both countries also maintained an annual 
increase above the European average. These figures consolidate Germany as Europe’s 
largest TV market in terms of monetary value in 2014.  
Declines in revenue were noted for Italy and the Netherlands. For Italy, this year constitutes 
the fourth year of declining revenues, recording a five-year compound decrease of 1.3%.  
52.1
55.3
56.4
56.5
57.0
58.3
81.2
86.7
91.3
94.7
98.9
102.9
24.3
25.6
26.4
27.4
28.4
29.3
20.3
24.4
29.1
33.5
38.3
42.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Europe
USA
Asia
Pacific
BRIC
and
Nigeria
4.1%
11.3%
3.3%
2.3%
YOY
CAGR (5 yr)
Growth (%)
178
192
203
Total revenues (£bn)
1.9%
4.0%
13.2%
3.2%
4.8%
4.6%
212
222
233
Global revenues (£bn)

149 
 
TV industry figures among European comparator countries 
Figure 3.10
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Revenues include advertising, subscriptions and sources 
of public funding only. All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
TV revenues increased for each of the BRIC countries and Nigeria in 2014, with combined 
revenues up at 11.3% year on year and more than doubling since 2009, to reach £43bn.  
China and Brazil made up over 75% of the revenue of this group of five countries, recording 
growth figures of 10.7% and 12.2% respectively. China had the highest industry revenues 
among the BRIC countries and Nigeria combined, increasing from £19.8bn to £21.9bn in 
2014. This growth was due to increased subscription and advertising revenue; the Chinese 
market is the largest subscription TV market in the world in terms of the absolute number of 
pay-TV households. Brazil’s revenues also increased; from £10.2bn in 2013 to £11.4bn in 
2014, and it has maintained the highest compound annual growth rate of the BRIC countries 
(14.2%).  
India has experienced consistent growth over the five-year period since 2009, with a 
compound annual growth rate of 12.1% and year-on-year growth of 14.7% in 2014. Russia’s 
revenue was up by 7.4% in 2014, while its compound annual growth rate since 2009 is 
11.0%.  
Significantly, the overall compound annual growth rate of the BRIC countries and Nigeria 
(13.2%) was driven in large part by Nigeria’s 32.9% growth since 2009. Although it has the 
smallest TV market in this group of comparator countries, Nigeria had greater proportional 
growth in TV revenue than any of the BRIC countries in 2014, with a 14.8% year-on-year 
increase to £0.6bn.  
11.7
12.7
13.1
12.9
13.4
14.0
7.2
7.7
8.1
8.3
8.3
8.4
17.7
18.3
18.7
19.4
19.8
20.4
6.6
7.2
7.2
6.6
6.3
6.1
3.6
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.8
3.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.5
2.5
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.7
1.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
ESP
NED
SWE
POL
4.0%
2.9%
0.4%
-2.3%
1.9%
5.1%
2.3%
-2.2%
9.1%
YOY
CAGR (5 yr)
Growth (%)
52
55
56
56
Total revenues (£bn)
1.9%
3.0%
2.5%
2.4%
-1.3%
-2.4%
2.0%
4.3%
3.6%
57
58

150 
 
Total TV industry revenues among BRIC countries and Nigeria 
Figure 3.11
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Revenues include advertising, subscriptions and sources 
of public funding only. BRIC is Brazil, Russia, India and China. All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
Figure 3.12 illustrates the changing composition of TV industry revenues, by country, 
between 2009 and 2014.  
Germany, the UK and France maintained their positions as the largest European TV 
markets, each increasing all three of their revenue sources between 2009 and 2014. These 
increases were predominantly driven by pay-TV subscriptions. For the UK and France, 
subscription revenue represented their largest source of TV income. In the UK, strong 
growth was noted across all three revenue streams.  
Among our 18 comparator countries, Italy and Spain experienced a decline in TV revenues 
between 2009 and 2014, predominantly driven by decreases in advertising revenue over the 
five-year period. In Italy, advertising revenue declined from £3.15bn to £2.55bn, while in 
Spain it fell from £1.92bn to £1.53bn. This reflects the shrinking of Spain’s advertising 
market between 2009 and 2013,102 while the market also experienced declines in 
subscription revenue and public funding over this five-year period. 
The US and China are the two largest countries by revenue and are included at the bottom 
of Figure 3.12 to accommodate the higher scale. The US experienced strong growth both 
from pay-TV subscriptions and from advertising revenues, both of which increased by more 
than £10bn during the five-year period between 2009 and 2014. China doubled its figure for 
advertising revenue (from £5.30bn to £11.24bn) and its subscription revenue (from £5.21bn 
to £10.66bn). 
Robust growth was also recorded in the television markets of the remaining BRIC countries. 
These increases in total revenue between 2009 and 2014 were driven mainly by an increase 
in net advertising revenue and in subscriptions.  
                                               
102 Advanced Television, 24 July 2013, http://advanced-television.com/2013/07/24/spain-tv-ad-
revenues-still-falling [Accessed 9 Octo39%ber 2015].  
5.2
6.3
7.5
8.8
10.2
11.4
1.9
2.2
2.6
2.9
3.3
3.6
2.6
3.0
3.6
3.9
4.5
5.1
10.5
12.7
15.2
17.5
19.8
21.9
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
BRA
RUS
IND
CHN
NGA
7.4%
14.7%
12.2%
YOY
CAGR (5 yr)
Growth (%)
20
24
29
Total revenues (£bn)
14.2%
11.0%
12.1%
11.3%
13.2%
33
38
43
10.7% 13.0%
14.8% 32.9%

151 
 
TV revenues by comparator countries, by source: 2009 and 2014 
Figure 3.12
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Revenues include advertising, subscriptions and sources 
of public funding only. Different scale used for the US and China due to larger size of those markets. 
All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
Figure 3.13 shows the annual growth in advertising revenue for each of our comparator 
countries. India, Spain, Brazil and China showed the highest rates of growth in advertising 
revenues in 2014, with India reaching 14.8% annual growth.  
Among our European comparator countries, Spain, Poland and the UK had the highest year-
on-year growth, at 10.9%, 6.5% and 6.4% respectively. Five of our 18 comparator countries 
recorded a decrease in annual growth, with Nigeria having the highest decrease at 20.3% 
(although advertising revenue remains low in the country).  
0.05
0.38
1.64
3.19
0.39
1.03
2.03
5.98
2.35
3.55
0.18
0.23
0.98
1.39
0.68
0.85
1.01
1.27
1.24
1.36
1.08
1.26
4.71
6.95
2.13
2.29
4.03
5.84
2.60
3.57
5.16
6.24
0.45
0.23
0.59
3.74
3.70
1.33
1.28
9.12
9.28
2.13
2.22
3.56
3.77
0.94
1.93
1.52
2.52
3.01
5.27
1.20
1.64
0.29
0.33
0.68
0.69
0.39
0.54
0.71
0.78
1.92
1.53
1.91
2.16
7.85
8.44
3.15
2.55
4.51
5.24
2.50
2.57
2.98
3.95
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
NGA IND RUS BRA KORSGP POLSWENED ESP AUS JPN ITA GER FRA UK
Subscription
Public funding
Advertising
Revenues 
(£bn)
50.39
62.35
5.21
10.66
30.81
40.49
5.30
11.24
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
2009
2014
2009
2014
USACHN

152 
 
TV advertising revenue annual growth: 2013-2014 
Figure 3.13
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
 
3.2.3 TV revenue per head among comparator countries 
TV revenue per head in the UK increased by £7.10 to £216 in 2014 
TV revenue per head in the US was the highest among the 18 comparator countries, 
generating £323 per head in 2014, an increase of £10.50 year on year, and representing the 
largest increase among the comparator countries. Germany had the second-highest revenue 
per head in 2014, at £247, a £6.30 increase on 2013.  
Among European countries, the UK recorded the largest year-on-year change (up by £7.10 
to £216), followed by Germany (up by £6.30). This increase was mainly generated by 
subscription revenues. Sweden had the third largest per-capita return among European 
comparator countries in 2014, up by £2.20 on its 2013 figure to £184. In contrast, France, 
Italy and the Netherlands noted declines in per-capita revenues in 2014, with the 
Netherlands down £3.70 to £147 and Italy down £2.50 to £100.  
TV revenues per head for the BRIC countries and Nigeria remained significantly lower than 
in most other comparator countries in 2014: Nigeria was lowest at £3. Brazil was the 
exception: here per-capita returns reached £57, a £5.70 increase on 2013. Brazil’s revenue 
per head was closely in line with the lower range of our European comparator countries 
(Poland at £56 per head and Spain at £66 per head).  
Annual growth (%)
-20.3
-2.4 -1.5 -1.0 -0.7
1.4
2.3
2.6
2.8
3.5
3.9
4.8
6.4
6.5
8.9
9.5 10.9
14.8
-25
-15
-5
5
15
NGA SGP AUS FRA ITA SWE RUS GER JPN NED KOR USA UK POL CHN BRA ESP IND

153 
 
TV revenue per head, by revenue source: 2014 
Figure 3.14
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Revenues include advertising, subscriptions and sources 
of public funding only; figures inside the bars represent industry revenue per head by source. All 
figures expressed in nominal terms. 
The increase in UK subscription revenue per head was larger than advertising 
revenue per head in 2014 
Figure 3.15 details the changes, by country, in revenue per head, split by the three 
component parts. For the majority of countries, increases in subscription fees were 
responsible for increased revenues in 2014. The exception was Spain, where increased 
advertising revenue per head of £3.10 was the main revenue driver.  
Brazil and the US had the highest increases in per-capita subscription revenue, at £5.90 and 
£5.50 respectively. There was also a notable increase in subscription fees per head in the 
UK, up year on year by £4.40 (surpassing £3.30 per head advertising revenue). This 
increase may be the result of increased take-up of pay-TV in the UK.103  
Significantly, public funding per head declined in five of our comparator countries, three of 
which were in Europe (the UK, Italy and the Netherlands). The Netherlands recorded the 
largest per-capita decrease, down £3.10 on the 2013 figure.  
Advertising revenues per head declined in four of our comparator countries in 2014. The 
greatest falls were in Australia and Singapore, where advertising revenues per head 
declined year on year by £2.50 and £2.70 respectively.  
                                               
103 See TV and audio-visual consumers: pay-TV take-up.  
97
56
71
37
195
55
53
29
76
89
36
42
72
30
7
3
8
2
58
35
113
21
29
30
5
24
40
1
7
£61
40
64
42
127
66
91
32
46
56
18
60
33
26
18
2
8
1
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
UK FRA GER ITA USA JPN AUS ESP NEDSWE POL SGP KOR BRA RUS IND CHNNGA
Advertising
Public
funding
Subscription
4
0.5
Revs per cap (£)
Change YOY (£)
25
1.8
16
1.5
216
7.1
130
-0.2
247
6.3
100
-2.5
150
4.8
112
7.0
174
-2.7
323
10.5
184
2.2
147
-3.7
57
5.7
66
5.3
102
-1.4
56
2.7
3
0.3

154 
 
Changes in components of TV revenues per head: 2013-2014 
Figure 3.15
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Revenues include advertising, subscriptions and sources 
of public funding only; the bars represent changes in industry revenue per head, by source. All figures 
expressed in nominal terms. 
3.2.4 TV licence fee in the UK third highest among comparator countries 
Public funding, in the form of TV licence fees paid by viewers, is an important element of TV 
finance in most of the countries included in this analysis. As Figure 3.16 shows, eight of the 
18 countries in our analysis require a TV licence.  
At £146, the cost of the UK licence fee was the third highest among comparator countries in 
2014, behind Sweden (£184) and Germany (£174). France had the greatest increase in its 
licence fee between 2009 and 2014 (up by £14.53), while the Japanese licence fee fell by 
£8.61, to £80. In 2011, Singapore abolished TV licence fees.    
 
TV licence fees: 2014 
Figure 3.16
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
3.2.5 Varied results for advertising revenue among free-to-view broadcasters 
Figure 3.17 shows the reported advertising revenues of selected free-to-view TV operators 
in 2014. ITV, in the UK, had the largest advertising revenues in 2014 of the selected free-to-
air broadcasters in our analysis, with £1.63bn in revenue and 5.6% annual growth. The other 
4.4
0.8
3.2
0.1
5.5
2.6
-0.4
2.3
-2.1
1.3
1.6
1.3
5.9
3.6
1.4
0.3
0.8
0.7
-0.6
-0.4
1.7
-2.2
0.0
0.3
0.2
-0.1
-3.1
0.5
0.0
0.0
3.3
-0.6
1.4
-0.3
4.9
1.9
-2.5
3.1
1.5
0.4
1.1
-2.7
1.1
2.1
0.4
0.2
0.6
-0.3
-6.00
-4.00
-2.00
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
NED
SWE
POL
SGP
KOR
BRA
RUS
IND
CHN
NGA
Subscription
Public funding
Advertising
-£0.19
£6.26
-£2.50
£10.47
£4.80
-£1.35
£2.23
£2.70
£7.01
-£3.66
-£2.68
£5.30
Change (£)
£7.07
£5.71
£1.80
£0.48
£1.47
£0.34
Cost per annum (£)
146
110
174
92
80
184
45
17
0
50
100
150
200
UK FRA GER ITA USA JPN AUS ESP NED SWE POL SGP KOR BRA RUS IND CHN NGA
No fee
No fee
No fee
No fee
No fee
No fee
No fee
No fee
No fee
No fee
0
Change vs 
2009 (£)
0
0
xx-xxxx-xxxx
4.84
-8.61
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-52.74
8.76
0

155 
selected UK broadcasters recorded revenues ranging from £0.81bn (Channel 4) to £0.37bn 
(Channel 5). ProSiebenSat 1 in Germany had the second largest revenues in 2014, with 
annual growth of 2.6%. The largest year-on-year increase in advertising revenue was for the 
Spanish Mediaset Espana, which increased by 10.9% in 2014, despite falling by 0.3% during 
the five-year period between 2009 and 2014.  
Advertising revenues declined in Italy and France in 2014 (Figure 3.13). This is illustrated by 
the declining advertising revenues for broadcasters in 2014, with Italian Mediaset and Rai 
recording falls of 3.8% and 4.0% respectively, and French TF1 and FT recording declines of 
0.8% and 1.6%. New regulations have been put in place since 2009 which prohibit FT from 
carrying advertising from 8pm to 6am, which may explain the decline shown in Figure 3.17. 
The highest compound annual growth rate between 2009 and 2014 was recorded by the 
UK’s Channel 5 (7.5%) and the Australian broadcaster Nine (5.2%).  
 
Latest reported advertising revenues for selected free-to-view TV 
Figure 3.17
operators: 2014 
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Comparisons should be regarded as indicative only due 
to the possibility of differences between broadcasters in financial reporting. All figures expressed in 
nominal terms. 
3.2.6 Increasing compound annual growth among most pay-TV operators  
The three pay-TV operators with the highest subscription revenues among our comparator 
countries in 2014 were all based in the US, the largest global TV market, with annual 
revenues of up to £21bn (Comcast). All three noted growth both in year-on-year subscription 
revenues and over the five-year period between 2009 and 2014. Collectively, these 
operators accounted for £51.7bn in subscription revenue.  
The UK’s BSkyB recorded the next highest level of subscription revenue among operators in 
our comparator countries, with a 6.2% increase to £4.6bn in 2014. In contrast, UK’s Virgin 
Media noted a decline of 3.1% in annual growth, despite an average annual growth of 3.9% 
between 2009 and 2014.  
Brazilian operators recorded robust growth, both in annual growth figures since 2013 and in 
average annual growth between 2009 and 2014: Sky Brazil had 13.0% year-on-year growth 
on revenue of £2.4bn and Net Servicos had 18.6% year-on-year growth on revenue of 
£2.1bn. BRIC country operators’ compound annual growth rates between 2009 and 2014 
1.63
1.40
1.37
1.34
1.32
1.21
0.81
0.67
0.63
0.60
0.57
0.45
0.37
0.30
0
1
2
ITV
P7S1
Fuji
Mediaset
RTL
TF1
C4
Mediaset
Espana
Atresmedia
Seven
Nine
RAI
C5
FT
Annual advertising revenue (£bn)
UK
5.6
3.2
ITA
-3.8
-5.1
FRA
-0.8
-0.1
UK
3.5
2.2
ITA
-4.0
-6.9
AUS
0.7
3.2
ESP
10.9
-0.3
ESP
8.1
0.6
GER
1.2
2.0
JPN
2.4
-0.8
GER
2.6
1.8
AUS
0.8
5.2
UK
5.6
7.5
FRA
-1.6
-2.6
Territory
YOY Change (%)
5 Yr CAGR (%)

156 
was the largest among the comparator countries: Brazil’s Sky Brazil and Net Servicos at 
22.5% and 14.7% respectively, and Dish TV in India at 21.4%.  
 
Latest reported subscription revenues for selected pay-TV operators: 
Figure 3.18
2014 
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: Comparisons should be regarded as indicative only due 
to the possibility of differences in financial reporting between broadcasters. All figures expressed in 
nominal terms. 
A general upward trend for pay-TV ARPU 
Average revenue per user (ARPU) can provide insights into the relative performance of pay-
TV operators by country. Most of our comparator countries had an increase in pay-TV ARPU 
from 2009 and 2014, despite a levelling-out of subscription numbers over this period. This 
can be explained in part by the increased ‘bundling’ offered by pay-TV companies as 
customers take up broadband and fixed-line services along with their TV subscriptions.  
There was a modest increase in the UK, where ARPU increased from £373 to £386 in 2014, 
remaining the highest among the European comparator countries. Other increases among 
European comparator countries were in Germany (an increase of £82 to £270) and Italy (an 
increase of £75 to £300).  
The highest figures among our comparator countries in 2014 were in the US (£618) and 
Australia (£441). The US had the largest absolute increase (£113) between 2009 and 2014.  
France, Spain, Singapore and Australia all recorded decreases in pay-TV ARPU between 
2009 and 2014. France had the largest decline over this period, down by 24% to £170.  
21.0
16.0
14.6
4.6
2.4
2.1
2.0
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.4
0.2
0
4
8
12
16
20
Comcast Direct TV
Dish
BSkyB
Sky 
Brazil
Net 
Servicos
Sky 
Italia
J:Com
Virgin 
Media
Sky 
Deutschland
CanalSat
Sky 
Perfect
Foxtel
Canal 
Plus
KT 
Sky Life
Dish TV
Annual subscription revenue (£bn)
USA
1.5
1.3
UK
2.8
6.2
BRA
14.7
18.6
ITA
1.`
0.0
JPN
-0.8
-6.5
GER
13.2
12.9
JPN
7.4
16.3
UK
3.9
-3.1
BRA
22.5
13.0
USA
3.8
5.1
USA
5.7
5.3
FRA
1.7
-0.3
AUS
15.9
-0.6
ESP
-1.6
-4.0
Territory
5 Yr CAGR (%)
YOY Change (%)
KOR
-1.8
-1.8
IND
21.4
12.4

157 
 
Pay-TV ARPU, by country: 2009-2014 
Figure 3.19
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: ARPU is average revenue per user, representing the 
average revenue generated per pay-TV subscriber. All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
UK online TV and video revenue grew more than threefold from 2011 to 2014 
Short and long-form online TV and video revenue is made up of subscription fees and 
advertising revenue, as well as electronic sell-through retail and on-demand revenue from 
online services delivering TV and video content. Typically, it includes services such as catch-
up TV services, Netflix, Xbox Video, Hulu, Hulu Plus, iTunes and YouTube.  
There has been significant growth in this sector since 2009, especially in the five countries 
featured in Figure 3.20. Although still small relative to the overall TV market in terms of 
revenue, online TV and video revenue in the UK was £908m in 2014, more than three times 
the 2011 figure of £242m. This rapid growth is also evident in the US, the country with the 
largest revenue of this type among our comparator countries in 2014 (£6.8bn).  
UK revenues in 2014 were greater than those in France (£366m) and Germany (£386m). 
The figure for UK revenue remained well above that of Japan, where revenues reached 
373
386
224
170
188
270
225
300
505
618
148
193
469
441
290
272
143
171
193
224
95
125
262
246
162
207
272
304
18
29
18
23
29
40
83
107
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
2009
2014
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
NED
SWE
POL
SGP
KOR
BRA
RUS
IND
CHN
NGA
ARPU (£)

158 
£643m. In the UK, growth was driven predominantly by the increased popularity of services 
such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.104  
 
Online TV and video revenue among selected comparator countries 
Figure 3.20
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Notes: (1) Different scale used for USA due to larger size. (2) 
‘Online TV and video revenue’ refers to advertising revenue, subscription revenue as well as retail 
and rental on-demand revenue derived from online services delivering TV and video content. 
Typically, it includes short-form and long-form services such as catch-up TV services, Netflix, Xbox 
Video, Hulu, Hulu Plus, iTunes and YouTube. (3) All advertising revenues are net (after discounts and 
agency commissions).(4) All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
3.2.7  Revenue from UK TV exports at £1.2bn in 2014 
UK television industry export revenues decreased marginally by 1% year-on-year to 
£1.207bn in 2014 
The latest annual UK Television Exports Survey, commissioned by Pact, collects and 
summarises the revenue figures of international television companies, and highlights the 
popularity of UK programming abroad.  
In 2014, the estimated total revenue for international sales of UK television programmes and 
associated activities was £1.207bn, a 1% decrease on the 2013 figure of £1.214bn. The 
2014 figure is more than double that in 2005, when the survey reported an overall figure of 
£494m. This growth has largely been driven by the ‘terms of trade’ changes, which enable 
independent producers to negotiate and sell secondary rights to their programmes, including 
the rights to the distribution of finished programmes and formats outside the UK. 
The US remains the UK’s largest export market  
Figure 3.21 shows the total UK revenues generated from the sale of all programming and 
associated activities to international markets. It is evident that the US is by far the UK’s 
largest export market. In 2014, total sales stood at £407m; a 4% decrease on 2013. This 
remains significantly larger than the second largest market, Australasia, which accounted for 
£145m of total exports in 2014.105 Exports to Brazil showed the greatest relative year-on-
year increase (30%) among the countries shown. Although generating less revenue than 
European countries, this may be indicative of a growing appetite for UK TV content.  
                                               
104 See The Communications Market Report 2015, ‘Key market developments in TV and audio-visual’ 
p. 148.  
105 Australasia comprises Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea and neighbouring islands 
in the Pacific Ocean.  
102
57
83
185
188
105
123
261
242
177
167
389
414
233
222
515
631
311
330
579
908
366
386
643
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
UK
FRA
GER
JPN
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Online TV video revenue (£m)
1.3
1.7
2.7
4.4
5.8
6.8
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
USA
Online TV video revenue (£bn)

159 
 
UK television industry export revenues in selected countries: 2013 and 
Figure 3.21
2014 
 
Source: Pact. UK Television Exports Survey 2014/2015.  Notes: (1) 24 responses were received in 
2014. For comparisons between years to be meaningful, the figures for 2013/2014 have been revised 
to compare like-for-like company responses. There was some estimation for incomplete or late 
surveys. (2) AUS in this section is Australasia and includes Australia, New Zealand, the island of New 
Guinea and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. (3) All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
Finished television programming is the UK’s largest source of TV industry export 
revenue 
Figure 3.22 shows the export market for UK programming and associated activities, broken 
down by the different types of programming and licensing deals. The largest source of TV 
revenue is in the form of finished television content, generating £689m in 2014; 5% lower 
than in 2013. This figure is more than four times greater than the sales of productions (new 
commissions), which is the second largest contributor to TV export revenue (£142m).  
Sales of digital rights had the largest growth in the year, with a 47% increase on 2013, to 
£140m in 2014. 
60
50
35
75
10
16
17
11
3
11
12
16
69
46
37
64
11
16
14
10
4
6
11
16
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
FRA
GER
ITA
US
CAN
JPN
AUS*
ESP
NED
POL
BRA
RUS
IND
CHI
YOY 
change (%)
15
-7
3
-5
-15
11
7
-1
-18
-8
30
-49
-11
1
429
135
407
145
100
200
300
400
500
600
2013
2014
Export revenue (£m)

160 
 
UK television industry export revenues, by type: 2013 and 2014 
Figure 3.22
 
Source: Pact. UK Television Exports Survey 2014/2015. Notes: (1) 24 responses were received in 
2014. For comparisons between years to be meaningful, the figures for 2013/2014 have been revised 
to compare like-for-like company responses. There was some estimation for incomplete or late 
surveys. (2) All figures expressed in nominal terms. 
 
 
 
722
689
660
680
700
720
740
2013
2014
84
95
36
54
73
150
81
140
37
57
61
142
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Television
DVD
Digital Rights
Co-production
Format
Licensing/Misc.
Productions
(New
Commissions)
YOY 
change (%)
-4
-4
47
3
5
-16
-6

161 
 TV and audio-visual consumers 
3.3
3.3.1 Summary 
This is the final section of the audio-visual chapter. In Section 3.3.2 we examine patterns of 
digital television take-up, before considering the platform mix across the comparator 
countries in Section 3.3.3. We then analyse the number of pay-TV homes in each country in 
Section 3.3.4, before examining how viewers in different countries consume broadcast 
television (Section 3.3.5).  
 
In 2014, the UK, Italy, Japan, Australia and Singapore had 100% digital 
television take-up on main TV sets, with digital take-up exceeding 60% of TV 
homes in every comparator country for the first time. 
 
 
In the UK, digital satellite (which includes Freesat and Sky TV) was the 
country’s favourite viewing platform on primary sets in 2014 (at 45% of TV 
households) while digital terrestrial was second highest with 33%. Digital satellite 
was also the most popular platform in Germany, Poland, Brazil, Russia, India and 
Nigeria.  
 
 
IPTV was the most popular TV platform in France and South Korea in 2014, 
with take-up of 41% and 30% respectively. The proportion of UK TV homes with 
IPTV as their main platform increased by 3pp in 2014 to 8%. 
 
 
Nearly three-fifths (59%) of TV homes in the UK had a pay-TV service in 2014. 
The Netherlands (99%), South Korea (97%) and the US (87%) were the three 
comparator countries with the highest proportion of pay-TV take-up in 2014 although 
the characteristics of pay-TV vary across the three countries. 
 
 
Across the comparator countries, audiences watched an average of 3 hours 43 
minutes of broadcast TV per person per day in 2014. The US had the highest 
level of TV viewing of all of the comparator countries (at 4 hours 42 minutes per 
person per day) while Sweden had the lowest, at 2 hours 33 minutes. The UK ranked 
tenth of the 15 ICMR countries, with viewers watching on average 3 hours 40 
minutes of television a day in 2014. 
 
 
Comparing 2014 to 2013, the data showed a decline in viewing (by varying 
degrees) among seven of the 15 ICMR comparator countries, with the UK 
showing the largest year-on-year decline of 4.9% (12 minutes). Some of the UK 
decline may be explained by increased viewing of online content on tablets and 
smartphones, an increase in subscription VoD viewing, falling unemployment, and 
the effect of the weather. 
3.3.2 Digital television take-up on main sets 
Digital TV take-up exceeds 60% of TV homes across all comparator countries in 2014 
Digital TV take-up in 2014 ranged from 100% in five countries to 65% in Russia – the first 
year in which all 18 of our comparator countries had take-up greater than 60%. Figure 3.23 
and Figure 3.24 show growth in DTT take-up, and for ease of interpretation, the countries 
are illustrated in two charts. 
For the second consecutive year, the UK, Italy, Japan, Australia and Singapore were the 
only five of our comparator countries with 100% DTV take-up on main TV sets. All but one of 

162 
the nine countries listed in Figure 3.23 have completed digital switchover, with France, the 
US, Spain and the Netherlands less than 100% DTV take-up only because of analogue 
cable services that can be found in a small proportion of TV homes. The exception is 
Singapore, which has yet to formally complete switchover, despite all TV services being 
provided digitally since 2013. 
 
Take-up of digital television: top nine comparator countries 
Figure 3.23
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom 
DTV take-up remains below the 87% average for the next nine comparator countries, 
although these are inevitably the markets that have the most room for growth. Indeed most 
of the DTV growth among these countries occurs as the number of overall TV homes goes 
up. 
India has had the greatest year-on-year average growth in the number of DTV homes since 
2009 (34%); growth from 2013 to 2014 was 26%, as the third phase of India’s cable 
digitisation programme continues. 
50
60
70
80
90
100
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
UK
FRA
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
NED
SGP
TV homes (%)
100%
0%
3%
95%
1%
4%
100%
0%
4%
96%
2%
3%
100%
1%
2%
100%
2%
6%
99%
1%
3%
87%
2%
9%
100%
1%
13%
Take-up 
2014
1 yr
5 yr 
CAGR
Growth in 
DTV homes

163 
 
Take-up of digital television: the next nine comparator countries 
Figure 3.24
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom 
Most comparator countries have completed digital switchover 
Many countries completed digital switchover in 2012 and 2013, and Brazil and Nigeria are 
the next two comparator countries scheduled to complete digital switchover - in 2018. 
India is the only one of our comparator countries which has not yet set a final date for 
analogue terrestrial switch-off. This is because the Indian Government has prioritised digital 
switchover for the cable platform; the process is ongoing. Singapore is the other comparator 
country not featured in Figure 3.25; although it has an official switchover deadline of 2020, 
all TV services have been provided digitally since 2013. 
 
Timeline for digital switchover, by country and date 
Figure 3.25
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom 
3.3.3 TV platform mix across comparator countries 
Digital satellite was the most popular TV platform in seven comparator countries in 
2014 
0
20
40
60
80
100
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
GER
SWE
POL
KOR
BRA
RUS
IND
CHN
NGA
TV homes (%)
72%
3%
10%
74%
3%
4%
86%
2%
9%
76%
8%
14%
72%
5%
12%
65%
11%
31%
70%
26%
34%
84%
6%
7%
84%
7%
7%
Take-up 
2014
1 yr
5 yr 
CAGR
Growth in 
DTV homes
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2015
NED
SWE
GER
USA
Switchover complete
ESP
FRA
JPN
UK
ITA
POL
AUS
RUS
2020
BRA
CHN
Switchover deadline
KOR
2018
2019
NGA

164 
In 2014, digital satellite was the most popular TV platform in seven of the 18 comparator 
countries: the UK, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Russia, India and Nigeria. It was also the 
second most popular platform in a further seven countries, as shown in Figure 3.26. 
Both digital cable and digital terrestrial were the most popular platforms in four countries in 
2014, while IPTV was the most popular platform in France and South Korea. Sweden was 
the only country to have an analogue platform as its most popular method of viewing TV on 
a main set in 2014, with the cheap analogue cable platform remaining popular there. 
 
Most popular TV platform: 2014 
Figure 3.26
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom 
The platform mix on main sets varies across the comparator countries 
Digital terrestrial continues to dominate the TV markets in Italy (73% take-up in 2014), Spain 
(69%) and Australia (67%), while it remains strong in the UK and Singapore, with 33% and 
37% take-up respectively. 
Digital satellite is the only other platform to dominate main-set TVs in any of the comparator 
countries: in Nigeria (69%), Brazil (52%) and Poland (50%), while with 50% share of main 
sets, digital cable is the most popular platform in Japan. 
Other than these examples, there is a healthy blend of TV platforms in most of the 
comparator countries (Figure 3.27), both among those which have completed digital 
switchover and those which are in the process of doing so. 
Digital Terrestrial
IPTV
Analogue Cable
Digital Terrestrial
Digital Cable
Digital Cable
Digital Terrestrial
Digital Terrestrial
Digital Cable
Analogue Cable
Digital Satellite
Digital Terrestrial
IPTV
Analogue 
Terrestrial
Digital Satellite
Digital Satellite
Digital Cable
Digital Satellite
Digital Satellite
Digital Satellite 
Digital Satellite
Digital Satellite
Digital Satellite
Digital Satellite
Digital
Satellite
IPTV
Digital
Terrestrial
Digital
Cable
Digital Cable
Analogue
Cable
Digital Satellite
Analogue 
Cable
Analogue 
Cable
Digital Satellite
Digital 
Terrestrial
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK
FRA GER
ITA
USA JPN AUS ESP NED SWE POL SGP KOR BRA RUS
IND
CHN NGA
Largest platform
Second largest platform
Digital 
Satellite
TV homes (%)

165 
 
TV platform take-up: 2014 
Figure 3.27
 
Source: IHS/industry data/Ofcom. Note: Digital terrestrial includes additional paid for services such as 
Top Up TV. Digital satellite includes free-to-air as well as paid-for services. 
There was a clear move from analogue to digital platforms among the BRIC countries 
and South Korea in 2014 
In 11 of our comparator countries there was a greater proportion of digital TV households in 
2014 than in 2013. The move to digital platforms came predominantly at the expense of 
former analogue cable households, while there was also a migration from analogue 
terrestrial households in countries that are yet to complete their digital switchover. 
The greatest overall shift in analogue to digital TV households was in India (a 12pp increase) 
due to the ongoing digital cable switchover process mentioned above. Russia had the next 
highest rate of migration, with a 6pp annual increase, digital satellite proving to be the main 
beneficiary of the move. 
Looking at individual digital platforms, the number of UK digital terrestrial homes decreased 
by 4pp in 2014, mainly to the benefit of IPTV platforms, the number of which increased by 
3pp year on year. This can be attributed to the growth in BT TV and TalkTalk subscriber 
numbers throughout 2014, as the companies developed their triple-play bundles. Spain’s 
IPTV growth is discussed in more detail in the next section. 
China saw a shift towards digital cable at the expense of digital satellite in 2014 following 
support for the sector from the Chinese government, to enable it to compete with the IPTV 
offerings form the large telecoms companies. 
14
4
16
43
50
10
6
47
17
18
36
23
12
6
27
43
5
28
4
13
26
14
24
26
29
12
45
35
43
27
30
29
20
12
10
17
50
20
52
36
42
32
69
33
14
7
73
13
13
67
69
7
24
15
37
3
8
14
16
28
9
2
5
15
8
41
6
11
7
2
12
23
16
2
27
30
8
8
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
UK FRA GER ITA USA JPN AUS ESP NED SWE POL SGP KOR BRA RUS IND CHN NGA
IPTV
Analogue Terrestrial
Digital Terrestrial
Analogue Satellite
Digital Satellite
Analogue Cable
Digital Cable
TV homes (%)

166 
 
Year-on-year changes in platform take-up, by country and platform: 
Figure 3.28
2013-2014 
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Note: Figures represent percentage point increase across all TV 
homes 
IPTV continued to grow as the primary TV platform in many countries 
Internet protocol television (IPTV) is the term used to describe the television platform that 
delivers channels to viewers using internet protocol (IP) technology over a broadband 
connection. For the purposes of this report, hybrid systems such as BT TV in the UK (i.e. 
those that provide television services through both an aerial and an IP connection) are 
considered as IPTV platforms. 
In 2014, IPTV continued to compete with digital platform technologies, encouraged by the 
growth of triple-play bundled services in countries with high-bandwidth infrastructure. Indeed, 
in France and South Korea, IPTV was the most popular TV platform, with take-up of 41% 
and 30% respectively. 
Take-up on main TV sets was at least 10% in seven of the comparator countries in 2014, all 
of which are featured in Figure 3.29. While growth has been gradual in most countries, there 
was a notable annual increase in take-up in Spain; from 4% to 12%, due to the increased 
triple-/quad-play offerings from Telefonica under its Movistar brand.   
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
NED
SWE
POL
SGP
KOR
BRA
RUS
IND
CHN
NGA
Digital terrestrial
-4
-2
0
0
0
0
-1
-7
-1
0
2
0
-3
2
0
0
0
4
Digital satellite
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-2
0
0
-1
3
3
-3
-3
Digital cable
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
-1
0
0
0
2
1
2
10
4
0
IPTV
3
1
1
0
1
1
1
7
3
2
0
0
5
0
1
0
1
0
Total digital
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
5
2
6
12
2
1
Analogue cable
0
0
-2
0
-1
0
0
0
-1
-1
-1
0
-5
0
-2
-11
-4
0
Analogue satellite
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Analogue
terrestrial
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-2
-4
-1
1
-1
Total analogue
0
0
-2
0
-1
0
0
0
-1
-1
-1
0
-5
-2
-6
-12
-2
-1

167 
 
IPTV take-up on main TV sets in countries where take-up was at least 
Figure 3.29
10% in 2014 
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom 
3.3.4 Pay-TV take-up 
In 2014, 66% of the TV households among comparator countries used a pay-TV 
service 
The popularity of pay-TV across comparator countries is influenced by a range of factors, 
including the availability of free-to-view channels, the exclusive rights that pay-TV operators 
may have to particular programmes or types of content, and the presence or lack of publicly-
funded television channels. 
Among the 18 comparator countries in this report, the take-up of pay television has 
increased by 12pp from 2009, to 66% of all TV households in 2014. 
Looking at the European comparator countries, the UK had an above-average take-up of 
pay-TV in 2014 (59% compared to the rest-of-Europe figure of 58%), in contrast to 2013, 
when the UK was below average compared to the other European countries (55% vs. 57%). 
The strong annual growth in the UK pay-TV market has been driven by the jump in IPTV 
platform take-up for both BT and TalkTalk. 
The pay-TV market remains strong in the US, with the 87% rate of take-up remaining the 
same as it was in 2009, while there continues to be growth across the BRIC countries – from 
48% take-up in 2009 to 66% in 2014. 
17
20
35
38
40
41
5
5
5
5
4
12
10
10
11
13
14
16
3
10
16
20
23
5
6
7
9
10
11
11
19
24
26
27
27
12
14
17
21
25
30
0
10
20
30
40
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
FRA
ESP
SWE
NED
USA
SGP
KOR
TV homes (%)

168 
 
Take-up of pay-TV among groups of comparator countries 
Figure 3.30
 
Source: IHS / industry data / Ofcom. Note: ‘Europe’ in this context means those European countries 
within our comparator set; France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden and Poland. ‘Total’ in 
this context means the 18 countries in this report’s comparator set. 
In 2014, the majority of the TV homes in 13 of the 18 comparator countries paid for 
additional TV services 
A substantial number of people were willing to pay for additional channels in 2014. but it is 
worth remembering that the characteristics of pay-TV vary across our comparator countries. 
For instance, pay-TV in the US and the UK provides access to various bundles of additional 
channels in exchange for payment, while in the Netherlands and Sweden, consumers can 
pay a small ‘access charge’ in return for a limited number of channels on a cable package. 
The greatest levels of pay-TV take-up were found in the Netherlands (99% take-up), South 
Korea (97%), the US (87%), India (85%), Sweden and Poland (both 83%) at the end of 
2014. Free-to-air television remained more popular than pay-TV services in five of our 
comparator countries in 2014: Italy (70%), Australia (68%), Spain (71%), Brazil (67%) and 
Nigeria (78%). 
54
65
66
52
55
59
52
57
58
48
64
66
87
87
87
46
35
34
48
45
41
48
43
42
52
36
34
13
13
13
0
20
40
60
80
100
2009 2013 2014 2009 2013 2014 2009 2013 2014 2009 2013 2014 2009 2013 2014
Total
UK
Europe
BRIC
USA
Free
Pay
TV homes (%)

169 
 
Take-up of pay and free-to-air television: 2014 
Figure 3.31
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom 
Across the period from 2009 to 2014, Brazil and Nigeria saw the greatest average 
annual increases in pay-TV take-up 
Looking at the five-year picture, it is clear that the greatest levels of growth in pay-TV take up 
has been in markets where free-to-air TV has traditionally had a stronger hold. Indeed, 
Nigeria and Brazil had average annual increases of 40% and 21% respectively from 2009 to 
2014. 
France was the only European country among the comparator countries in which there was 
an above-average CAGR figure of growth across the same period. This represents the 
increasing popularity of IPTV in France, which is an entirely pay-TV platform. 
Italy had an average annual decrease of 4% in pay-TV households each year from 2009 to 
2014. This is linked to the ongoing after-effects of the financial crisis, with new TV 
households choosing to stick with free-to-air terrestrial services as opposed to the pay-TV 
alternative. 
59
77
55
30
87
69
32
29
99
83
83
63
97
33
66
85
62
22
41
23
45
70
13
31
68
71
17
17
37
3
67
34
15
38
78
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
UK
FRA GER ITA USA JPN AUS ESP NED SWE POL SGP KOR BRA RUS IND CHN NGA
Free TV
Pay TV
TV homes (%)

170 
 
Pay-TV take-up, millions of homes: 2009 and 2014 
Figure 3.32
 
Source: IHS/ industry data/ Ofcom 
3.3.5 Broadcast television viewing 
On average, viewers in the comparator countries watched 3 hours 43 minutes of TV 
per day  
Across the ICMR comparator countries106, each person watched an average of 3 hours 43 
minutes of broadcast TV per day in 2014 (Figure 3.33). The UK was broadly in line with the 
                                               
106 TV viewing data not included in Eurodata TV Worldwide 2015 report for Singapore, Nigeria or India 
3.6
19.7
17.2
0.9
11.1
3.8
7.4
5.0
2.9
7.6
21.7
21.0
16.2
0.7
7.5
14.5
0.7
10.4
3.5
7.0
4.3
2.3
9.5
21.5
11.6
13.8
0
5
10
15
20
25
NGA
BRA
KOR
SGP
POL
SWE
NED
ESP
AUS
ITA
GER
FRA
UK
2009
2014
Homes (millions)
5yr CAGR
3%
13%
0%
-4%
4%
3%
1%
2%
1%
6%
3%
21%
40%
Lower than average
Higher than average
268.4
141.3
36.0
36.0
101.0
178.9
91.2
21.7
31.9
99.8
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
CHN
IND
RUS
JPN
USA
Homes (millions)
0%
2%
11%
9%
8%

171 
average among the ICMR comparator countries, with people watching on average 3 hours 
40 minutes of television a day in 2014. The US had the highest level of TV viewing of all the 
comparator countries (4 hours 42 minutes) and Sweden the lowest (2 hours 33 minutes).  
Comparing 2014 to 2013, seven of the 15 comparator countries had a year-on-year decline 
in daily TV viewing minutes per head. The UK had the largest proportional decline, with TV 
viewing falling by 4.9% (11 minutes). Some of the UK decline may be explained by 
increased viewing of audio-visual content on tablets and smartphones and an increase in 
subscription VoD viewing, as well as falling unemployment and the effect of the weather on 
TV viewing.107 
The US and Sweden followed the UK, with the joint second largest proportional decline, both 
down by 3.8% year on year. Daily TV viewing increased in Poland (by 5.3%), Brazil (3.2%), 
Australia (2.0%), South Korea (0.5%), Italy (0.4%) and Russia (0.4%).  
Across the European ICMR comparator countries, four showed a decline in viewing, while in 
Poland, the Netherlands and Italy viewing increased, and in Germany it remained level. 
Average daily viewing per head across the European comparator countries was highest in 
Italy (at 4 hrs 22 mins/day), followed by Poland (4 hrs 20 mins/day), and was lowest in 
Sweden (2 hrs 33 mins/day). Viewing in the UK (3 hrs 40 mins/day) was in line with France 
and Germany (both at 3 hrs 41 mins/day). 
Among the BRIC countries,108 Brazil was the only country to have an increase in viewing 
between 2013 and 2014, with daily minutes increasing by 3.2% to 3 hours 44 minutes. Daily 
TV viewing remained broadly unchanged in Russia, at 3 hours 59 minutes per person per 
day, while viewing in China decreased by 1.3% to 2 hours 37 minutes.  
Looking at the Asia Pacific countries,109 daily viewing in Australia110 increased by 2.0% to 3 
hours 24 minutes a day while viewing in Japan111 and South Korea was broadly unchanged 
(at 4 hrs 24 mins/day and 2 hrs 16 mins/day respectively).  
                                               
107 For an in-depth look at the recent decline in TV set viewing in the UK, see section 1.4 Changes in 
TV viewing habits in Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2015: 
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cmr/cmr15/CMR_UK_2015.pdf  
108 BRIC countries include Brazil, Russia and China. TV viewing data for India were not available. 
109 Asia Pacific countries include Japan, Australia and South Korea. TV viewing data for Singapore 
were not available.  
110 Australia data relates to viewing in the Australia Regional area and is calculated on the regions 
Queensland, Northern New South Wales (NSW), Southern NSW, Victoria & Tasmania and Regional 
Western Area. Note: the definition of Australia regional changed in 2014 to include Regional Western 
Australia. 2013 data for Australia Regional in all charts reflects this change. The 2014 ICMR report 
was based on Australia Regional excluding Regional Western Australia. 
111 Japan data relates to viewing in the Japan Kanto region. Japan Kanto is considered the main TV 
market in Japan, although it is representative of the Japan Kanto region only, and should not be 
considered as equivalent to nationally representative data. 

172 
 
Average minutes of broadcast TV viewing per person per day: 2013-
Figure 3.33
2014 
 
Source: Médiamétrie, Eurodata TV Worldwide – One Television Year in the World 2015. Viewing in 
France relates to France National. Japan data relate to viewing in the Japan Kanto region. Viewing in 
Australia relates to Australia Regional which is calculated on the regions: Queensland, Northern 
NSW, Southern NSW, Victoria & Tasmania and Regional Western Area. The definition of Australia 
regional changed in 2014 to include Regional Western Australia. 2013 data for Australia Regional 
throughout all charts reflects this change. The 2014 ICMR report was based on Australia Regional 
excluding Regional Western Australia. 
Most popular national channels  
As the number of television channels increases, patterns of consumption change. In order to 
gauge the impact of channel expansion and choice, we compare the year-on-year 
performance of the top five highest-ranking channels by market (Figure 1.33). 
In the UK the main five public service broadcasters (PSB) channels112 made up the top five 
TV channels, despite digital TV having reached universal coverage in 2012. Viewing to the 
main five PSB channels accounted for over half of all viewing (51.2%) in the UK in 2014, in 
line with 2013 (51.1%). BBC One remains the most-watched channel in the UK, with a 
21.7% share of total viewing, followed by ITV, BBC Two, Channel 4 and Channel 5, in that 
order.   
We can see a pattern of reduction in the collective share of the top five TV channels in ten of 
the 15 comparator countries. Brazil had the largest percentage point (pp) decline in share of 
overall viewing to its top five channels, down by -4.7pp from 69.9% in 2013 to 65.2% in 
2014. Poland had the second-largest percentage point decline in share of overall viewing to 
its top five channels, down by 3.1pp after having completed digital switchover halfway 
through 2013. Conversely, the UK (up 0.1pp), the US (0.5pp), Australia (0.1pp), Spain 
(3.0pp) and the Netherlands (0.9pp) all increased theirs collective share of viewing to their 
top five channels. 
                                               
112 BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, including HD variants but excluding +1s. 
Average minutes per day
220
221
221
262
282
264
204
239
200
153
260
196
224
239
157
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
NED
SWE
POL
KOR
BRA
RUS
CHN
2014 average
223 mins
Proportional change in minutes of viewing per person per day, 2013 - 2014
-4.9%
-2.2%
0.0%
+0.4%
-3.8%
-0.4%
+2.0%
-2.0%
+2.6%
-3.8%
+5.3%
+0.5%
+3.2% +0.4%
-1.3%

173 
 
Top five channels’ audience share: 2013-2014 
Figure 3.34
 
Source: Médiamétrie, Eurodata TV Worldwide – One Television Year in the World 2015. Viewing in 
France relates to France National. Japan data relate to viewing in the Japan Kanto region. Viewing in 
Australia relates to Australia Regional which is calculated on the regions Queensland, Northern NSW, 
Southern NSW, Victoria & Tasmania and Regional Western Area. 
Publicly-owned channels in 2014 
Among the ICMR comparator countries, the share of viewing of publicly-owned channels 
(including channels owned by other countries where available)was highest in China (63.4%), 
followed by Germany (57.4%) and the UK (44.0%).113 Viewing of publicly-owned channels 
was lowest in Brazil (1.2%) followed by the US (1.4%) (Figure 3.35). 
                                               
113 In the UK, ‘publicly-owned channels’ refers to all BBC and Channel 4 channels as well as S4C, 
PBS America, PTV Global, Russia Today and Euronews. The 44% share attributed to publicly-owned 
channels in 2014 were to the domestic broadcasters. 
5.2
5.1
14.5
13.8
34.5
37.4
13.7
14.3
12.3
13.2
22.3
23.3
21.7
18.9
14.5
13.5
14.6
15.1
19.5
18.3
6.8
6.7
17.3
17.8
13.3
13.0
22.9
22.8
21.7
21.0
8.7
10.0
24.4
25.5
24.4
25.8
24.4
25.3
23.5
24.8
27.3
27.1
21.8
22.2
23.6
23.6
21.5
21.5
32.1
33.7
12.3
11.5
22.0
22.3
24.9
24.9
24.2
24.6
20.8
21.1
6.4
6.1
12.6
13.7
6.3
6.7
14.2
14.0
12.9
13.8
12.7
12.0
11.5
13.0
14.0
12.0
11.2
10.6
28.4
28.2
6.4
6.8
12.6
13.3
18.4
19.5
12.7
12.9
8.8
9.0
20.3
21.2
51.5
53.0
65.2
69.9
52.3
53.6
48.7
51.8
62.3
62.4
55.0
54.1
52.1
49.1
47.3
47.2
80.0
80.2
25.5
25.0
51.9
53.4
56.6
57.4
59.8
60.3
51.2
51.1
0
20
40
60
80
100
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
2014
2013
CHN
RUS
BRA S.KOR POL
SWE
NED
ESP
AUS
JPA
USA
ITA
GER
FRA
UK
Top channel
Second and third most popular
Fourth and fifth most popular
Change in 
share of top 
five channels 
2013 – 2014 
(percentage 
points)
+0.1
-0.5
-0.9
-3.1
-1.3
-4.7
-1.5
+3.0
+0.9
-0.1
+0.5
-0.2
+0.1
-1.5
-0.8
Audience share (%)

174 
Comparing 2014 to 2013, viewing of publicly-owned channels varied among the 15 ICMR 
comparator countries; seven countries had an increase in viewing of publicly-owned 
channels, while seven had a decrease, and the US was unchanged.  
Viewing share to publicly-owned channels increased in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, 
Australia, Poland and Russia. Russia had the largest percentage point increase (4.3pp) 
followed by Japan, up by 1.1 percentage point. The Netherlands had the largest decline in 
viewing share to publicly-owned channels between 2013 and 2014 (down by 3.3pp). 
 
Viewing of publicly-owned channels 
Figure 3.35
 
Source: Médiamétrie, Eurodata TV Worldwide - One Television Year in the World 2015. Uses the 
‘status’ flag attributed to each channel by country which relates to state ownership. Includes ‘domestic 
public’, ‘foreign public’, ‘public’ and ‘mixed’. ‘Domestic public’ refers to channels that broadcast locally 
and are state-owned. ‘Foreign public’ refers to international public channels. ‘Public’ refers to 
channels that are difficult to label between ‘domestic public’ and ‘foreign public’, such as BBC 
America. ‘Mixed’ refers to channels with a hybrid status (mix of public and private funding). ‘Viewing in 
France’ relates to France National. Japan data relates to viewing in the Japan Kanto region, 
considered to be the main TV market in Japan (national data are not available). Viewing in Australia 
relates to Australia Regional, which is calculated on the regions Queensland, Northern NSW, 
Southern NSW, Victoria & Tasmania and Regional Western Area. Note: Change in viewing share may 
not appear to add up with y-o-y 2013 to 2014 figures, due to rounding of decimal places. 
Legacy terrestrial channels make up the majority of viewing 
The legacy terrestrial channels continue to command over half of viewing share in the UK, 
France, Germany and Italy. In the UK, the legacy terrestrial channels, BBC One, BBC Two, 
ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, together command a share of 51.2%, in line with 2013 
(51.1%). For the second consecutive year the largest year-on-year decrease in share of 
viewing to legacy terrestrial channels was in Italy, where the collective share of RAI 1, RAI 2, 
RAI 3, CANALE 5, ITALIA 1, RETE 4 and LA7 decreased by 2.2 percentage points 
compared to 2013. 
Among the comparator countries in Figure 3.36, the legacy terrestrial channels in France 
have maintained the largest share of total viewing (64.3%), followed by those in Germany 
(62.1%) and Italy (60.0%). 
Audience share (%)
43.5
32.3
57.0
38.7
1.4
19.1
18.0
25.3
37.0
36.0
30.5
44.2
1.5
37.1
65.0
44.0
32.7
57.4
37.6
1.4
20.2
18.7
24.9
33.7
35.3
30.7
43.3
1.2
41.4
63.4
0
20
40
60
80
100
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
USA
JPN
AUS
ESP
NED
SWE
POL
KOR
BRA
RUS
CHN
2013
2014
+0.5
+0.4
+0.4
-1.1
0.0
+1.1
+0.7
-0.4
-3.3
-0.7
+0.2
-0.9
-0.3
+4.3
-1.6
Change in viewing share between 2013 and 2014 (percentage points)

175 
 
Legacy terrestrial vs. all other channels’ share 
Figure 3.36
 
Source: Médiamétrie, Eurodata TV Worldwide - One Television Year in the World 2015. Legacy 
terrestrial channels are based on MediaMetrie’s definition of channels considered to be ‘historical 
leaders’. 
UK= BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 (inc HD variants, exc +1s) 
Germany = ARD, ARD 3, ZDF, RTL, Sat1, Pro7 
France = TF1, France 2, France 3, Canal+, France 5 24/24H, Arte 24/24H, M6  
Italy = Rai Uno, Rai Due, Rai Tre, Canale  5, Italia 1, Rete 4, La 7 
 
 
 
Audience share (%)
51.2
64.3
62.1
60.0
48.8
35.7
37.9
40.0
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
UK
FRA
GER
ITA
All other
channels
Legacy
terrestrial
channels
Change in viewing share to legacy terrestrial channels, 2013 - 2014 (percentage points)
+0.1
-0.7
-1.0
-2.2