Poll findings - Numerous cable TV subscribers still lack recent agreements.
As the legal deadline for cable TV contracts approaches, a significant portion of users still haven't made up their minds about their future TV viewing options. According to recent data from YouGov, a third (30%) of people polled are undecided, while two-thirds have already made their choice. The survey was conducted in late April, so the numbers may have shifted slightly since then. However, according to industry sources, there could still be millions of people without a new TV contract by the summer.
The ancillary cost privilege, which allows landlords to pass on the costs of TV signals to tenants in their rent, will come to an end on July 1st. This regulation has been in place since 2013 and has been popular due to volume discounts and the ease of payment. After July, tenants will have to find other ways to pay for their TV subscriptions if they want to continue receiving the signal.
Vodafone, the largest cable TV provider, had to accept losses due to the looming end of the regulations. The company lost around 650,000 TV customers in the first quarter of 2024, bringing the total number of customers down to 11.8 million.
Both tenants and homeowners who have contracts with Vodafone, but aren't affected by the legislative change, will be affected by this change.
The decline in subscription numbers is not unexpected, but it is still a blow to the company. Marcel de Groot, the CEO of Vodafone Germany, told dpa, "The decline hurts, but it is within the expected range." He added, "We are doing everything to inform tenants about the upcoming legal change and will also contact them several times. However, if tenants decide against a cable TV connection despite multiple contact attempts, we will also disconnect the connections."
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Following the survey results, it was revealed that a third of Germans are still undecided about their television viewing options as the deadline for cable TV contracts approaches. Despite the legal change, Vodafone, the largest cable TV provider, lost approximately 650,000 TV customers in the first quarter of 2024. This decline in subscription numbers was expected, but it still posed a challenge for the company. Interestingly, according to Check24, a popular German comparison site, many people are turning to the Internet and streaming services as alternatives to traditional cable TV.
