New information released by the European Audiovisual Observatory shows that the number of television channels and multichannel platforms has continued to increase in Europe, despite the economic crisis. More than 245 new European television channels were launched in the course of 2009, which brought the total number of European broadcasting channels to 7,200. More than 1,000 of these channels were established in the UK, and almost half of them broadcast to other European countries. 

These statistics are based on channels situated in 29 countries in Europe (27 European Union Member States, Croatia and Turkey). If one also takes into account the extra-European channels that broadcast in Europe, then there are more than 8,600 channels available to European audiences. The most popular genres of new European channels are sport (38 new channels in 2009), followed by channels for children (17 launched in 2009).

Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) services have so far been launched in 24 of the 29 studied countries, and more than 730 channels are currently transmitted via DTT in Europe. Switch-off of analogue terrestrial broadcasting is now complete in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden, and has taken place in regions of Austria, Belgium (Flemish Community), the Czech Republic, France, Italy and the UK. Switch-off is due to take place this year in Austria, Malta, Spain and Slovenia.

The figures also show that the cable market is consolidating, whilst the number of Internet Protocol television (IPTV), satellite and mobile TV operators continues to increase across the continent. 

More details are available in the full report, which is available on the European Audiovisual Observatory website.