Satellite remains Germany’s leading TV reception method
May 13, 2026 09.52 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

DTH satellite television remains the most widely used reception method in Germany, according to the Astra TV Monitor 2025 published by SES Germany.

The study, conducted by market research company Kantar, shows that 15.46 million households – 43.7% of all TV homes – received their TV signals via satellite in 2025. Although satellite remains the dominant platform, the figure marks a slight decline from 16.02 million households (44.8%) in the previous year.

Cable TV continued its downward trend, falling from 13.32 million households in 2024 to 12.44 million in 2025, representing 35.2% of the market. Terrestrial reception via DVB‑T2 remained broadly stable at 1.74 million households, up marginally from 1.68 million.

The strongest growth was recorded by IPTV. The number of IPTV households rose from 4.71 million to 5.72 million, increasing its market share from 13.2% to 16.2%. IPTV is now the only major distribution method gaining significant ground.

Across all platforms, HD penetration reached a new high. A total of 33.97 million households – 96.1% of all TV homes – watched television in HD quality in 2025. Satellite remained the leading HD distribution method with 15.25 million HD households, ahead of cable (11.27 million), IPTV (5.72 million) and terrestrial reception (1.74 million).

“Satellite is the most widely used reception method in Germany,” said Christoph Mühleib, Managing Director of SES Germany, adding that satellite television offers viewers a combination of a large channel variety in excellent picture quality, without any monthly reception fees and with high signal stability. “With the HD+ TV app, hybrid solutions and functions are added that further increase convenience and user friendliness. This takes satellite television to a new level.”

The Astra TV Monitor 2025 is based on a representative survey of 6,000 households conducted between 3 November and 19 December 2025. The analysis covers 35.36 million TV households in Germany and considers each home’s primary reception method.