National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Moldova

According to statistical data, aggregated by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), the market for pay TV (via cable networks and IPTV), in the second quarter of 2020, there was a increase both in the total volume of sales and in the total of subscribers to these services. The volume of sales increased, compared to the similar period of 2019, by 4.4 million lei (10.8%) and reached 45.5 million lei, and the total number of subscribers increased, compared to the end of 2019, by 11.7 thousand (3.5%) and reached to 347.2 thousand.

The increase in revenues from pay TV services was driven by the increase of sales of IPTV network providers. Thus, the volume of these sales increased, compared to the same period of 2019, by 46.2% and was estimated at 31.8 million lei. Meanwhile, the sales made by cable network providers decreased by 29% and equaled 13.7 million lei. As a result of this development, the average monthly revenue per user (ARPU) for pay TV services increased by 7.3% and reached 43.8 lei.

The increase in the total number of subscribers was caused by the increase in the subscriber base of IPTV network operators, which extended by 11.4% and totaled over 201.1 thousand. At the same time, the cable network subscriber base decreased by 5.7% and reached over 146 thousand. As a result, the penetration rate of pay TV services, per 100 households (the value per 100 households is estimative, with an average of 3 people per households), increased by 1.9 percentage points to 39,4%.

According to the data presented to ANRCETI by 43 active providers, as of June 30, 2020, 57.9% of the total number of subscribers used IPTV networks, and 42.1% - cable TV networks. The same data show that the share of digital TV subscribers reached 77.7%, and the share of analog TV ones decreased, making up 22.3%.

According to ANRCETI estimates, during the reporting period, the market shares of pay TV service providers, by turnover, were distributed as follows: Moldtelecom - 34%, TV BOX - 33%, Orange Moldova - 5% , the cumulative share of the other providers - 28%.

September 15, 2020