Press Release

Strasbourg, 19 February 2008

Number of VoD services in Europe grew remarkably in 2007

  
Full text of
the NPA survey
(in French)

 
Video-on-Demand in Europe
(Edition May 2007)

The European Audiovisual Observatory and the French Government's Media Development Department (DDM) have published the results of a new survey of VoD services in Europe, carried out by NPA Conseil.

Upsurge in number of services

At the end of 2007, the survey found 258 VoD services in operation in the 24 European countries covered, compared with 142 services at the end of December 2006.

This upsurge in the number of services is largely explained by the fact that television channels generally now have websites offering free catch-up TV, giving viewers access to certain programmes, notably episodes of series, for a period of several days after their transmission. As in 2006, France - with 32 services - remains the country with the highest level of VoD provision; it is followed by the Netherlands (with 30 services) and Germany (with 26 services). Together, these three countries account for almost a third of Europe's VoD services.

Number of VoD services in the 24 European countries surveyed, by type of platform (December 2007)
  Country
Total number
of services (1)
Increase in total
over one year
Internet
IPTV
Cable
Satellite
DTT
Total (2)

> 20

 France 32 +12 26 13 1     40
Netherlands 30 +11 27 3 1     31
Germany 26 +14 20 4 2 2   28

10-20

 Sweden 16 +8 11 5       16
United Kingdom 16 +3 11 4 4 1 1 21
Norway 14 +7 11 4 1     16
Spain 15 +9 12 3 1     16
Italy 12 +4 9 4       13
Denmark 11 +4 8 3 3     14
Belgium 10 +0 3 5 6     14
Austria 10 +5 8 1   1   10

5-10

 Switzerland 9 +6 7 1 1     9
Hungary 8 +4 6 2       8
Finland 8 +4 7 2 1     10
Ireland 7 +2 5 2   1   8
Poland 6 +3 2 2 2 2   8
Portugal 6 +4 3 2 1 1   7
Slovakia 5 +4 4 1       5

1-4

 Estonia 4 +2 2 1 1     4
Iceland 4 +3 4 1 1     6
Slovenia 4 +4 2 2       4
Cyprus 2 +0   2       2
Turkey 1 +1 1         1
Luxembourg 2 +2 2         2
  Total 258 +116 191 67 26 8 1 293
(1) The same service available on different networks is counted in the total only once.
(2) The same service available on different networks is counted in the total more than once.
Source: NPA Conseil
74% of the services surveyed are delivered via Internet, 26% are available as part of IPTV packages and 10% come with cable packages. As previously, only a minority of VoD services are delivered via satellite or on digital terrestrial television.
Breakdown of VoD services in Europe by type of network (December 2007)

 
Certain services may be distributed on more than one network and, in such cases, they have been counted more than once.
Source: NPA Conseil
 
The marked increase in the number of VoD services on Internet reflects the expansion of catch-up TV provision by broadcasters over the last two years - most catch-up services being offered via Internet. Throughout Europe, 62 catch-up TV services are delivered on Internet, compared with 11 services on IPTV, 8 on cable, 2 via satellite and 1 on DTT. Initially, almost all catch-up TV was offered on Internet, but cable and DSL operators have now begun to include it on their networks.

The survey also reflects the latest developments in strategy among the various players involved in VoD provision (including cable and IPTV network operators, television channels, programme makers and equipment manufacturers).

Press contacts:

At the DDM: Laure Kaltenbach (laure.kaltenbach@pm.gouv.fr)
At the European Audiovisual Observatory: Alison Hindhaugh (alison.hindhaugh@coe.int)
The European Audiovisual Observatory

Set up in December 1992, the European Audiovisual Observatory's mission is to gather and distribute information on the audiovisual industry in Europe. The Observatory is a European public service body comprised of 36 member states and the European Community, represented by the European Commission. It operates within the legal framework of the Council of Europe and works alongside a number of partner and professional organisations from within the industry and with a network of correspondents. In addition to contributions to conferences, other major activities are the publication of a Yearbook, newsletters and reports, the compilation and management of databases and the provision of information through the Observatory’s Internet site (http://www.obs.coe.int).