Global TV revenues up 7.7%

Global TV revenue increased by 7.7% last year to £239 billion (€284 billion), according to UK media regulator Ofcom.

The regulator’s sixth annual International Communications Market Report recorded a recovery in the advertising market where revenues were up 9.9%. Income from subscription services was up 7.1%, with BSkyB in the UK experiencing the most significant jump in earnings, up £600m (13.2%) to £5.3bn. Sogecable, which owns the Digital Plus DTH platform in Spain experienced a drop in earnings for the second year in a row, declining 18.6% in 2009 to £1.4bn, and a further decline of 15.3% in 2010 to £1.1bn.

By country, pay TV take-up at the end of 2010 was highest in the Netherlands (98%) and Sweden (93%), alongside India (82%), the US (88%) and Canada (91%); this compared to take-up of 52% in the UK.

The report found that digital TV penetration rose last year in all 17 countries covered by the survey, with take up highest in Spain (98%), the UK (97%) and France (93%). Ofcom said HD had officially entered the mainstream in France where 60% of households can receive HD channels on their main TV set, compared with 21% in the UK.

The report also found that online services including the BBC’s iPlayer and Channel 4’s 4oD have led to 27% of Britons watching online TV services at least once a week, compared with 17% in France and Italy and 11% in Germany.