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December 16, 2011
The roll-out of digital terrestrial television (DTT) in Europe has (with some exceptions) increased the number of channels qualifying for 'must carry' status on pay TV networks in the region. In paralel, must offer rules requiring channel operators to make their services available for carriage have also been added to national legislation. This report looks at how must-carry rules have been applied across Europe, including recent and planned changes. The financial implications of must carry - in particular the issue of carriage payments made by network operators to channels (or vice versa) are also examined.
DTT roll-out has increased the number of channels qualifying for must carry in several European countries. In some markets, regulators have cut the number of must-carry channels.
Commercial must-carry channels may want to take this opportunity to opt out of the must carry group, running the risk of operators dropping them from their channel line-ups, or giving them a less favourable position in their EPG.
Must-offer regulations have been introduced in a number of European markets. However, they have only been applied to premium channels (as 'wholesale' must-offer) in Western Europe. In Central and Eastern Europe, with channel operators in many cases restricting their premium channels to some platforms, must offer is a major issue.
Highlights:
- Countries across the region have followed the EU?s lead and drawn up lists of channels that are mandatory for pay TV operators.
- Regulations do not cover carriage fees although these are becoming more widespread as broadcasters seek to create new revenue streams.
- The number of must carry channels on the lists drawn up in European countries ranges from two to as many as 30.
- Popular channels are increasingly opting out of must carry in order to receive carriage fees-as many broadcasters have done in the US.
- Competition regulators have introduced must offer regulations in several countries, usually imposing them on leading premium pay channel operators.
- Many channel operators in central and eastern Europe are making their channels available only on certain platforms, making must offer a major issue.
In this report:
- European must-carry channels list
- Must-carry applications across Europe, recent changes and future plans
- Increase in the number of must-carry channels as a result of DTT roll-out
- The cost of must-carry: large commercial channels opting out of must-carry
- 'Wholesale' must-offer so far applied only in Western Europe
- Viasat strategy of premium channels' distribution in Baltics
Tables and charts included:
- Must-carry channels in Europe by country
- Must-carry, must-offer and 'wholesale' must-offer definitions
- Number of national must-carry channels per country (December 2011)
- US retransmission fees (2000-2010)
- Viasat pay TV channels revenues in Baltics (2010-2015)
- Viasat Sport Baltics carriage fees revenues from cable TV (2010-2015)
- Viasat Sport Baltics carriage fees revenues breakdown by platform (2010-2015)
Pages: 12
Tables & charts: 7
Tags:
Companies: BSkyB Canal Plus Eurosport Lattelecom NTV Plus ProSieben Sky Sports TeliaSonera TEO LT TF1 TriColor Viasat Virgin Media Vivendi
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