News Headline
European Pay-TV revenues set to triple: report
LONDON: A new report shows that European pay-television revenues will triple in the next five years from Euro 22 billion to Euro 77 billion.
The revenue growth will be partly attributed to household subscriptions across the continent rising from 40 million to 68 million. A significant impact, however, will be a 850 per cent increase in T-commerce levels from a current low of Euro 2.4 billion to more than Euro 30 billion by 2008 representing 40 per cent of revenue per subscriber.
European Pay-TV Forecasts by David Brown and published by International Marketing Reports, also shows that Britain will be the biggest Pay-TV market in Europe with a five-fold increase in revenues from Euro 4.1 billion to Euro 20 billion.
UK Pay-TV penetration will reach 58 per cent of TV households from the current 38 per cent. Only Scandinavian countries Finland (63.6 per cent), Denmark (74.1 per cent) and Sweden (79.8 per cent).
The report also shows that Europe’s largest economy, Germany, will make rapid progress in Pay-TV with its current 6.3 per cent of TV households having Pay-TV, set to grow to 36.2 per cent in the next five years.
The report also analyses who will be the winners and losers in the Pay-TV market and the news for smaller, struggling channels is not good. The big winners will be the large, established channels; David Brown however cautioned, “They have both the economies of scale and strong branding to dominate. But even they must be careful. MTV for example, now faces a tough challenge from publisher Emap, which has launched several rival music channels.”
The report also suggests that free-to-air TV will continue to lose share to Pay-Television, that the strongest growth will be in services provided by broadband and Video-on-Demand and that other big winners will be sports and film rights holders.
Brown added, “Sport and movies are still the so-called ‘Killer Content’. They are quite simply the only content that the majority of subscribers will pay for and therefore they are the life blood of many of the big subscription operations. Even where advertising and T-Commerce boost revenues, it is often on the back of having such sought after content.”
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.
