The Luxembourg-based company behind the satellites that carry Sky and Freesat confirms further growth for satellite television.
In its annual Satellite Monitor market research report, the company confirmed it currently delivered 8,265 channels, with almost 3,000 of them in HD, to a total of 361 million households worldwide.
This year’s Satellite Monitor survey showed continued growth across Europe (+2 million households) and Africa (+2 million households). At SES’s prime orbital neighbourhood of 19.2 degrees East (Astra 1), SES’s satellites now serve 118 million households or over 43% of all European TV homes. With the addition of the other Astra satellites, including those serving the UK and Ireland (Astra 2E, F, G), SES reaches 170 million homes.
Platform of choice for HD
The research confirms that in Europe, satellite remains the platform of choice for HD. Nearly 40% of HD TV homes use satellite – almost the same as cable and IPTV homes combined. In addition, UHD screens increased 5% since 2019 and are now present in 20% of European TV homes. While HD TV continues to grow, the number of 4K UHD channels has stagnated.
Viewers are using streaming services to complement, not replace linear TV. Over the past five years OTT TV has grown by 138%. But traditional linear TV – whether through satellite, cable, IPTV or terrestrial – has largely remained stable.
Recently, SES confirmed it had signed new carriage agreements with a number of public service broadcasters across Europe, to secure their ongoing availability via satellite.
Steve Collar, CEO at SES commented:
“An industry bellwether report, this year’s Satellite Monitor survey once again confirms SES’s established leadership position in terms of our global reach combined with our focus on delivering the most immersive viewing experience through HD and UHD content. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven content consumption higher than ever, and in large parts of the world, linear TV remains the primary choice for people to consume news and information. We will continue to innovate to enable our video customers to reach as many audiences as possible via multiple screens.”