IHS: EU Cable Industry Hits €23.5 Billion

The European cable industry saw an increase of 4 percent in 2016 from the prior year, reaching €23.5 billion ($27.8 billion), according to the latest findings from the European Broadband Cable Yearbook from IHS Markit.

The report also finds that the number of unique cable homes in the EU continued to increase steadily, reaching 65.1 million—or 30.5 percent of total TV households—at the end of 2016. Internet revenue continues to rise, now comprising 34 percent of Western European cable operator revenue.

Germany remained the largest EU market, with more than three times more unique cable homes than the next biggest markets: Romania, the U.K. and Poland. Each of those markets had around 5 million unique subscribers, compared to Germany’s 18.6 million.

“European cable operators are focused on providing the best services to their customers in what is an increasingly competitive marketplace,” said Maria Rua Aguete, the executive director for media, service providers and platforms at IHS Markit. “Investments in network upgrades and advanced platforms have already delivered in terms of ARPU and revenue increases, and are set to do so again in the coming years.”