EAO: Over 33% of all SVOD services operating in Europe are American
January 6, 2023
Of more than 3,100 subscription streaming and over-the-top video platforms operating in Europe in 2022, more than 33% are US-based services, led by Netflix, according to news Data of the European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the Council of Europe based in Strasbourg, France. 20% of all commercial pay-TV operators in Europe are based in the United States.
In addition to European Union countries, the data covered Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Norway , Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
Among pay-TV distributors operating in Europe, The Walt Disney Company holds virtual market dominance operating in 45 European TV markets.
Among SVOD services, Netflix uses a centralized strategy with a single country of establishment from where it targets European markets, according to the EOA. A strategy of central nodes is used by the BBC, where generally a small number of countries serve as a base to target various national markets. AT&T, on the other hand, pursues a decentralized strategy where more establishment centers serve European markets.
Nine countries account for 96% of video-on-demand services primarily serving non-domestic markets. Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the hubs of the base of operations of the most important global players in American streaming.
Among American media companies operating in Europe, Warner Bros. Discovery and its majority parent company, AT&T, rank first in terms of market share for pay-TV, VOD and streaming. Other US companies in the Top 10 include Google, Disney, Apple, Comcast, Prime Video, AMC Networks and Paramount Network.
Netflix is not on the list as it focuses on streaming only.