The number of digital TV homes in Eastern Europe will double between now and 2018 to reach 121mn, thanks to rapid progress for the region’s analogue switchover initiatives, according to UK firm Digital TV Research.
Digital TV penetration is believed to have crossed the halfway mark of TV households in the region last year, and is predicted to reach 61% by the end of this year then go on to reach 97% by 2018.
Ten of the 21 countries covered in the report are expected to be completely digital by 2018, with Estonia having already become the first to reach full conversion last year.
Digital pay-TV platforms such as cable (and to a lesser extent IPTV) are expected to be the main beneficiaries of the analogue switchover, while DTT is expected to account for around a third of TV households by 2018.
