According to Digital TV Research, telco IPTV is gaining subscribers in western Europe at the expense of the other pay TV platforms. IPTV overtook satellite TV in 2015 and is expected to be approaching cable by 2024. IPTV is expected to add 5.5 million subscribers between 2018 and 2024.
Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research, said: "IPTV operations are owned by telcos. Some telcos also have assets on other platforms. If all of the current proposed deals receive regulatory approval, then telcos will have 18.61 million non-IPTV subscribers by 2024. Adding the 38.72 million IPTV subscribers, telcos will control 56% of western Europe's pay TV subscribers by 2024."
"This marks a sea change for Western Europe's pay TV sector," Murray said. "Pay TV is not the priority for telcos - broadband and mobile provision are at the forefront."
Western Europe is expected to have 101.59 million pay TV subscribers by 2024. Germany is expected to contribute a quarter of the total, followed by the UK (15%) and France (14%).
Half of the 18 countries covered in the western Europe pay TV forecast are expected to lose pay TV subscribers between 2018 and 2024. Italy is expected to decline the most (down by 728,000 subs) from the 1,229,000 overall losses, followed by the UK (down by 621,000).