HD services led channel growth in EU over last six years

The total number of channels in the EU grew by almost half between 2009 and 2015, according to the latest figures released by the European Audiovisual Observatory.

According to the research group, the number of channels in the EU countries, excluding local channels and windows, grew from 3615 in 2009 to 5370 in 2015.

HD channels accounted for 57% of the net increase in channels in this period. Sports channels accounted for 11% of the total net increase in channels, while entertainment services accounted for 6%.

According to the European Audiovisual Observatory, HD services considered as a separate category accounted for 21% of the total number of channels in the 28 EU countries in 2015, with sports services accounting for 11% and entertainment services accounting for 8%.

Other popular categories included film, accounting for 7%, music – 6% – kids, accounting for 5% and documentary channels – also 5%.