Poland market analysis

Details on the various Polish channels including who broadcasts what and the television shows they purchase.

Poland has 13.7 million TV homes and an ad market worth around $4bn (£2bn – of which TV takes around 50%). It is unquestionably the most interesting TV market in Europe right now thanks to rapid economic growth.

In terms of free TV, the market is dominated by three major players – public broadcaster TVP and commercial rivals Polsat and eastern Europe. Between them, they control 90% of the ad market and have protected their position by launching spin-off channels. This has made them attractive targets in their own right.

Polsat also owns DTH satellite platform Polsat Cyfrowy, which has around 1 million subscribers. It shares the pay-TV market with cable operator UPC, Canal+-owned satellite platform Cyfra+ and a new DTH platform launched by ITI Group. And the launch, in 2006, of a telco-backed IPTV platform, TPSA, makes this one of Europe’s most competitive TV markets.

TVP
Telewizja Polska runs three terrestrial channels, TVP1, TVP2 and TVP3. These are funded by a combination of licence fee and ad revenue. It has also, in recent months, launched a range of thematic channels – covering sport, film, documentary (TVP Dokument) and entertainment (TVP Rozrywka).

As a combined force, TVP1’s channels dominate the free-to-air market, taking audience share of around 50%. This in turn generates a significant share of ad revenue. As a result, TVP is well-placed to make a lot of its own shows (notably soaps and documentaries).

In terms of acquisitions, feature films are covered off by output deals with the likes of Universal, Sony and MGM. Among British shows to have been picked are Prehistoric Park, various BBC Worldwide natural history titles and sitcom The IT Crowd.

POLSAT
Polsat’s main free-to-air channel is Polsat 1 – though it also has various thematic channels and control of the DTH platform Polsat Cyfrowa.

Polsat 1 is the biggest rival to TVP in audience share – targeting 16 to 49 year-olds and securing around 16.5% of the audience. Like TVP, Polsat produces a lot locally – but it is also a major buyer of international content.

Alongside US series such as 24 and Desperate Housewives, it has reworked formats such as Pop Idol, Project Runway, Deal or No Deal and Fear Factor. Its thematic channels have picked up Britcoms such as The Thin Blue Line.

TVN
In February 2007, Poland’s leading commercial network TVN (owned by Luxembourg’s ITI Group) reported a 47% jump in ad revenues for Q4 2006 to $137m (£70m). A rise in audience combined with improved rates in the Polish ad market were cited as reasons for the growth.

TVN, which targets 16 to 49 year-olds, achieved ad growth of 20% in 2005 and expects ad revenues in 2007 to grow by around 25%. With so much money coming in, it is proving a valuable buyer. After hits with local versions of Big Brother and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, it has had another good run with a local version of Strictly Come Dancing.