With 187M households equipped with a Smart TV, smart TV penetration has overtaken pay TV subscriptions in Europe (excluding Russia) since Q4 2024. The installed base remains largely dominated by Samsung and LG, despite rapid shifts in the market and a growing array of options for TV households. Between 2020 and 2024, smart TV adoption grew at an average annual rate of around +10%, while pay TV subscriptions rose by only 1% over the entire period and began to decline in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 (-1% and -0.15%, respectively). Additional connected devices, such as streaming media players and dongles, have further expanded access to app-based video catalogues on the TV screen. It is important to note, however, that these numbers overlap significantly, as many households use both smart TVs and their operator’s set-top box or OTT pay TV service. Over time, the direct competition between these access methods to streaming app catalogues is likely to diminish as pay TV operators broaden their presence on smart TVs, whether through dedicated apps or fully integrated solutions, such as the recently announced partnership between Vidaa and Deutsche Telekom.
