The number of Czechs who are still hesitant to embrace Pay-TV services has over the long term remained relatively steady, hovering just above 40% of all television viewers. Notably, one-third of them specifically cites the high cost of Pay-TV services as their primary concern. These insights stem from the H1 2023 results of the Atmedia Index survey study, carried out by Atmedia, a media sales house of thematic TV channels.
While 56% of Czech viewers aged 15–69 do opt for television services offered by Pay-TV operators, the remaining 44% maintain their loyalty to digital terrestrial broadcasting, exclusively tuning in to Free-To-Air TV channels. “From a long-term perspective, this figure has shown to be remarkably stable. For instance, in the first half of 2021, this particular group of viewers accounted for the total of 46%. Digital terrestrial broadcasting in the Czech Republic enjoys a longstanding tradition and a steady foothold, which is quite unlikely to change in the foreseeable future,” asserts Pavel Müller, Head of Research & Marketing at Atmedia.
Viewers Do Have an Option to Watch Dozens of Free-to-Air TV Channels
A total of 62% of viewers who abstain from paying for TV their reception do find the array of TV channels offered by digital terrestrial broadcasting to be sufficient. “Czech viewers do have an option to access dozens of TV channels at no extra cost. At present, the official electronic television audience measurement covers a total of 36 channels, ranging from full-format to thematic TV channels,” highlights Pavel Müller, delving into why digital terrestrial broadcasting enjoys such a wide Popularity in the Czech Republic. The primary reason why viewers refrain from paying for their TV reception revolves around the extensive selection of freely broadcasted TV channels. “However, the number of viewers citing this particular reason has been on a continuous decline year by year. A mere two years ago, there were 67% of non-paying viewers that fell into this group, marking a five-percentage-point difference compared the figures observed in the first half of this year,” points out Pavel Müller.
Besides the ample offer of Free-to-Air TV channels, there is another frequently mentioned rationale that’s remained unchanged over the past two years – the reluctance to pay. More explicitly, 46% of viewers who access television via digital terrestrial broadcasting do spell out this particular reason. Simultaneously, one-third of viewers do emphasise the high cost of Pay-TV. “Nonetheless, when it comes to this aspect, viewers’ perspective on Pay-TV has undergone quite a shift over the past two years. In the first half of 2021, the percentage of viewers who did not want to pay for their TV viewing or considered Pay-TV to be too expensive was prominently higher – at 54% and 40% respectively,” determines Pavel Müller.
One-Tenth of Viewers Ponder the Idea of Subscribing to Pay-TV Services
Decreasing number of viewers unwilling to pay for TV reception or deems Free-to-Air TV channels sufficient enough, is mirrored by the percentage of those considering the switch to Pay-TV service. Over the course of the next 12 months, 10% of viewers who currently solely rely on FTA channels do plan to migrate to one of the Pay-TV operators. An additional 24% do remain undecided, while the remaining two-thirds intend to stick with digital terrestrial broadcasting. “Regrettably, our Atmedia Index study doesn’t provide us with comparable data for the first half of 2021. Nevertheless, when compared to the same period last year, there have already been some substantial changes. Last year, merely 7% of viewers considered switching to Pay-TV,” concludes Pavel Müller.
About the Survey Research
The survey research for Atmedia – sales house of thematic TV channels – was carried out by the ResSOLUTION research company / Nielsen using the CAWI method. 3,898 respondents (online TV population aged 15–69, familiar with their TV reception type) from the Czech National Panel entered the questionnaire survey. The survey took place in two waves for the first and second quarters of 2023 (Czech Republic: 5th–19th April 2023, 3rd–16th July 2023, 28th–31st July 2023).
Atmedia introduced the Atmedia Index in mid-2021. It offers TV channels, media agencies and other interested parties a comprehensive data, information and insight into three researched areas: (1) TV channels’ quality evaluation through the eyes of their viewers, (2) use of PAY-TV and FREE TV, (3) use of paid video on demand (VOD).
