Television Broadcasting Industry Profile

Companies in this industry broadcast television programs to the public. The major US broadcast TV networks, often referred to as the Big Four, are ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC; leading companies based outside the US include the BBC (UK), NHK World - Japan (Japan), ProSiebenSat1 Media (Germany), and RTL Group (Luxembourg).

Global TV revenues from broadcast advertising, subscriptions, and public funding total some $100 billion, according to Statista. The highest TV revenue generating countries are the US, China, India, Japan, and Brazil.

In the US the television broadcast industry includes about 2,100 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $60 billion. Both broadcast networks and individual stations are included in the industry. TV cable networks are covered in a separate industry profile.

Broadcast television is also known as terrestrial television (primarily in Europe) or over-the-air television (OTA). The industry doesn't include companies that broadcast primarily on the internet, produce and sell taped TV programs, distribute cable and other pay TV programs, or use TV as a retail outlet.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Advertising spending, program popularity, and consumer demographics drive demand. The profitability of individual companies depends on programming mix and efficient operations. Large companies have advantages of economies of scale in production and distribution. Small companies can compete effectively with special programming that attracts a targeted audience. The US industry is highly concentrated: the ...