Report highlights: SVOD the most concentrated AV market in terms of subscriptions; PSBs account for one third of global viewing consumption

 

On 18 January 2022, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) released a report on “Top players in the European audiovisual industry – ownership and concentration” for 2021 – the first of a series of such annual reports planned by the EAO.

 

Report author Laura Ene has studied the structure of the Audiovisual industry in Europe, in terms of revenues and other performance indicators relative to key market segments. The document provides snapshots of the top Aaudiovisual players and explores concentration, statute and origin of ownership by revenues through pay-TV subscriptions, SVOD subscriptions, number of TV channels, number of on-demand services, TV audiences, number of TV fiction titles produced and number of cinema screens; based on available data for 40 European countries covered by the EAO.

The report also analyses the evolutions of the market between 2016 and the end of 2020, amid the COVID crisis.

The report finds that, at the end of 2020:

• The top 100 audiovisual companies in Europe by operating AV services revenues show resilience to COVID-19

• Mergers and acquisitions activity has been pushed up by the streaming rush and the pandemic crisis

• US interests in the European AV industry follow an upward trend

• Top AV players in Europe are eclectic as regards their portfolio of leading activities

• PSBs account for one third of global viewing consumption in Europe

• Broadcasters and TV packagers diversification into TV production seems a common strategy

• High-ranking players by audiences are relatively better represented among the top players by revenues

• SVOD remains the most concentrated AV market in Europe in terms of subscriptions

The report includes several detailed rankings of the top 20 players depending on various criteria, extended versions of which – with up to 50 actors – can be accessed and downloaded through links in the document.

• Top players in the European AV industry - Ownership and concentration (2021 Edition), Laura Ene (author), Agnes Schneeberger (contributor); January 2022 (EN)
• EAO press Release (EN/FR/DE)

Source: The European Audiovisual Observatory