The United Kingdom is home to by far the most television channels and on-demand audiovisual services compared to other European countries, accounting for a third of the total. It is the leading European hub for audiovisual services targeting foreign markets. There are over 750 television channels and over 150 on-demand services established in the United Kingdom primarily targeting other markets. The implications of leaving the European Union remain unclear.
In 2016, the European Union was the base for a total of 4,063 television services and 2,207 on-demand audiovisual services.
1,389 of these television services were established in the United Kingdom, or one in three of the total.
747 on demand services were also established in the United Kingdom, which is a similar percentage.
Around one third of all television channels and on-demand services established in the European Union specifically target foreign markets.
With 758 television channels established in the United Kingdom, it is by far the most significant European hub for television channels targeting foreign markets. Other centres are the Czech Republic with 91, France with 77, the Netherlands with 73, Luxembourg with 64 and Span with 57.
The United Kingdom is also by far the major hub for on-demand audiovisual services targeting foreign markets, with 152 such services, excluding catch-up television. The Netherlands is next, with 64, followed by Ireland with 30, Sweden at 16, and the Czech Republic and Luxembourg, with 15 each.
The European Union is the base for at least 44 major groups owning a significant number of linear and on-demand services targeting foreign markets. 15 of these are companies based in the United States the majority of these have their European operation in London.
American companies with television channels established in the United Kingdom include 21st Century Fox, AMC Networks, Comcast, Discovery Communications, Scripps Networks, Sony Pictures, Time Warner, Viacom and the Walt Disney Company. On-demand services with European operations established in the Untied Kingdom include Amazon, Discovery, Sony, and Walt Disney. Many of these major media companies also have operations in other European countries.
The figures come from the European Audiovisual Observatory MAVISE database and confirm the conclusions of a research conducted by informitv for a study for the European Commission in 2016.
They underline the importance of the United Kingdom as a net exporter of audiovisual services to the rest of Europe. This is partly because many major American media companies have their European base in London.
The implications of Brexit, the plan for Britain and Northern Ireland to exit the European Union, remain unclear generally and particularly in the media market.
Audiovisual Services in Europe: Focus on services targeting other countries is available from the European Audiovisual Observatory