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Covid effect: Italian TV market shrinks by over €400 million
MUMBAI: After debilitating Italy right at the outset, Covid2019 is now hitting the country in a different way. The Television Market in Italy 2020-2022 report published by Rome-based ITMedia Consulting has estimated that the Italian TV market has lost over €400 million in value this year.
The report states that pay-TV is the only resource that is growing, while advertising has dropped by 13 per cent.
Notably, pay-TV has surpassed FTA for the first time in terms of revenues, while the TV market should start growing again as a result of the considerable increase in pay-TV revenues and the partial recovery of the advertising market.
A strong contribution is expected with the entry of Sky Italia as a network triple player operator and SVoD, which should see a 31.3 per cent CAGR in the time period.
Although Sky Italia, Mediaset and RAI will remain the dominant players overall (over 75 per cent of the total combined), they will lose market share to other operators whose joint turnover will reach almost €2 billion in revenues. While Mediaset still collects over half of the advertising investments, it is losing ground and now accounts for less than 20 per cent of overall TV sector revenues.
Sky Italia is still the main market player, albeit with a downward trend, as new and aggressive VoD players increasingly gain market share.
The report highlights that traditional players that rely only on consolidated business models are being penalised, to the benefit of new players that are able to exploit new technological means and changing viewer demand, increasingly moving towards a personalised, multi-platform and multi-screen experience.
The pandemic has accelerated and amplified ongoing shifts in consumers’ behaviour, pulling forward digital disruption and forging industry tipping points that wouldn’t have been reached for many years. As a result, the entertainment and media world in 2020 has become more remote, more virtual, more streamed. In the Entertainment & Media Outlook in Italy 2020-2024 report predicted that total E&M revenues in Italy will rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.0 per cent to reach €39.5 billion in 2024.
In conclusion, this year's ITMedia Consulting report shows how Italian consumers today are also following the new consumption patterns accentuated by the pandemic. They are watching TV with a greater awareness of the different offers and business models, both linear and non-linear.
Traditional broadcast TV has sensed the looming and very dynamic presence of online streaming services, and adapting their business models to match those of international operators. Even Sky is leaving no stone unturned to develop new strategies to better confront these internet-based players.
The report also points out how operators who rely solely on consolidated models are being penalised, to the benefit of new entrants who are able to exploit the opportunities offered by technological evolution and the changing needs of demand, translating them into an attractive offer to the public, increasingly oriented towards personalised use, multi-platform, multi-screen, even on mobile.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
