Satellite TV continues its reign as the most prevalent TV reception method in Germany, although it experienced a minor setback in 2024. The recently published Astra TV Monitor 2024 indicates that 16.02 million TV households (44.8%) relied on satellite for their TV viewing at the year's end. This represents a slight dip from the 16.53 million households (45.5%) recorded in 2023.
Cable television suffered a more significant decline, witnessing a drop from 15.11 million to 13.32 million households, reducing its market share from 41.6% to 37.3%. Industry experts attribute this sharp decrease to the repeal of legislation that mandated landlords include cable TV subscriptions in rent, regardless of tenant usage. Since July 1, 2024, households have enjoyed the freedom to choose their preferred reception method.
This regulatory change propelled the growth of IPTV, which saw a remarkable surge from 3.49 million (9.6%) to 4.71 million (13.2%) households. Terrestrial television via DVB-T2 also experienced growth, rising from 1.22 million (3.4%) to 1.68 million households (4.7%).
HD television has become the standard across all platforms. A remarkable 93% of households, totaling 33.21 million, enjoy high-definition viewing. Satellite maintains its leading position in HD reception, with 15.17 million HD households, surpassing cable (11.65 million), IPTV (4.71 million), and terrestrial television (1.67 million).
“Satellite remains the most popular reception platform in Germany. Viewers appreciate that there are no ongoing reception fees, combined with a wide range of channels, stable signal quality and excellent picture quality,” stated Christoph Mühleib, Managing Director of SES Germany, overseeing SES and Astra operations in the DACH region. He further highlighted SES's continued investment in innovations like the HD+ TV app to enhance satellite reception convenience.
The Astra TV Monitor, an annual report compiled by Kantar on behalf of Astra, is based on a survey of 6,000 German households conducted between November and December 2024. The study focuses on each household's primary reception method and is accessible for free download at www.astra.de/presse/astra-tv-monitor-2024-satellit-ist-der-meistgenutzte-tv-empfangsweg-deutschland.