Report: Italian TV channel supply continues to decline

The number of television channels broadcasting in Italy has declined steadily over the past decade, from 389 in 2012 to 343 in 2022 and 316 in 2023, according to a report published by Confindustria Radio Televisioni.

At the end of 2023, there were 268 domestic production lines, down 18 percent from 2012 (326 lines) and 8 percent from 2022 (292 lines). This reduction applies to both Free TV (FTA) and Pay TV options.

The free offer (terrestrial and satellite) increased from 389 channels in 2012 to 316 in 2023 (-19 percent). On the other hand, the FTA satellite offer (Tivusat) continued to grow, reaching 115 channels by 2023, exceeding the number of channels on the pay platform Sky Italia (97 channels).

The pay TV market has shrunk considerably, with the closure of several commercial digital terrestrial operators. By 2023, the entire paid segment, including DAZN channels, had fallen to just 99 channels, down from 242 in 2012.

A significant factor in the 2022 decline was the redevelopment of the 700 MHz band and the transition to the new MPEG-4 H.264 standard, which resulted in the loss of more than 40 channels on the DTT platform alone. At the end of 2023, the DTT offer totals 107 TV channels, almost all of them free to air (FTA).

In recent years, the number of HD channels has more than doubled, from 61 to 130 (an increase of 113 percent). Notably, in 2023 alone, the number of channels broadcasting exclusively in HD has exceeded 90. This growth has come at the expense of SD channels, which went from 264 in 2012 to only 136 in 2023, a drop of 49 percent.

The Italian television landscape is dominated by 35 major media groups, of which the top five control 63 percent of the total market with a total of 168 channels.

Sky Italia Group leads with 73 channels, followed by Rai (46 channels), Mediaset Group (20 channels), Warner Bros. Discovery Italia Group (18 channels), Paramount Italia (11 channels) and Sciscione Group (11 channels).

After the completion of the transition to digital television in 2022, the Italian terrestrial digital platform operates with 11 active national multiplexes. A 12th multiplex is currently suspended due to a licensing disagreement. At the end of 2023, these multiplexes broadcast a total of 107 television channels and 16 radio channels.