The European Audiovisual Observatory reports digital switchover is complete in 22 out of 27 EU member states, as well as in the non-EU states of Croatia, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
According to the pan-European Yearbook survey 2012 was "a significant watershed for digital terrestrial TV in the EU," with pay DTT services available in 17 EU and 21 European countries. 86 DTT channels launched in 2012, with HD channels available on DTT networks in 22 European countries.
Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece are to complete switchover by 2013, with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow in 2014 and the remaining countries (Albania, Montenegro, Romania, Russia and Turkey) in 2015.
End 2012 is the recommended EU deadline for analogue switch-off (ASO).
The survey says a total of 33 pay DTT services are available in 21 countries, following new launches in Belgium and Greece. However IHS Screen Digest reports pay-DTT subscriptions dropped by -13% in 2012, with the most significant drop seen in Italy (by almost 1 million subscribers).
Spain and Portugal are still waiting for pay-DTT services, services have dropped in Italy and France and several smaller countries are finding the development of a financially successful pay DTT model difficult.
Meanwhile pay DTT services have been established in a number of other states (including Estonia, Malta, Lithuania, Macedonia and Albania) in advance of free DTT.
The Observatory also reports 2012 channel launches across all platforms (DTT, cable, satellite and IPTV) in the EU total 369, 40% of which being HD channels.
Go 22 of the 27 EU Member States Implemented 2012 Analogue TV Switch-Off