A new European Audiovisual Observatory report has revealed that in 2019, 11,418 TV channels were available in 41 European countries, plus Morocco with 4,757 of these being local TV channels. The findings come from the MAVISE, which is updated annually and provides individual data for TV channels and video-on-demand services available in Europe, including detailed information about targeting, ownership and licensing. The study initially focused on the availability and establishment of television and on-demand services in Europe and the access and distribution of audiovisual services in Europe that target non-domestic markets. U.K data was included in the report as the reference period, before the withdrawal.
The study found that 6,420 national and international TV channels were established in MAVISE territories, 4,657 of them in the EU, 1,748 in other European MAVISE territories, and 15 in Morocco. A total of 5,496 TV broadcasting licenses were issued for the 6,420 TV channels established in the MAVISE territories. 3,831 of these licenses were issued for the 4,657 TV channels established in the EU28 alone. 3,069 on-demand services were available in the MAVISE territories comprising 1,832 catch-up TV, 1,040 pay-on-demand and 197 free on-demand services. 1,011 pay- on-demand services were established there (of which 919 were located in the EU28 and 3 in Morocco) with only 2% owned by public service broadcasting organizations. More than a fifth of all TV channels, a total of 993, and 47%, 434 of pay on-demand services based in the EU28 countries specifically targeted other 28 markets in the EU for 2019, while almost two-thirds of pay on-demand services established in Europe belonged to the film and TV fiction genre (62%). Just over two-thirds of all pay-on- demand services were based in the UK, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and France, with the top three territories cumulating over half of the pay ODAS supply. The pay-on-demand services supply arena was led by the UK, which contributed 237 of the EU28 offer. The pay-on-demand services supply was relatively more concentrated in terms of establishment compared to the TV channels.