Films, series dominate pay on-demand services

Film and series channels account for over three in five of all paid-for on-demand services in Europe, according to statistics from the European Audiovisual Observatory.

According to the Observatory, movies and series-based VOD offerings account for the overwhelming majority – 61% – of services, with generalist services and adult channels accounting for 12% each, followed by kids services with 6%.

The figures taken from the European Audiovisual Observatory’s MAVISE database show almost two thirds – 63% – of major paid-for on-demand services are distributed online only, with 23% delivered by TV distribution platforms’ managed networks only. Some 14% of services are available both online and via managed networks.

Of the 723 main pay on-demand services surveyed, transactional VOD services outnumber subscription VOD services by 416 to 307.

The Observatory’s latest figures showed that fiction, sports and entertainment-based thematicchannels account for about two fifths of all linear channels in Europe, with respective shares of 14%, 14% and 13% of the overall channel universe.

Documentary channels follow with 10%, followed by generalist channels with 9%, music channels with 7%, kids services with 7% and lifestyle, leisure, health and travel channels with 6%.

Some 46% of generalist channels are available on digital-terrestrial platforms, with significant proportions of entertainment-themed and kids channels also available on DTT.