European digital TV market still very dynamic. According to recent information provided by the MAVISE database, created for DG Communication at the European Commission by the European Audiovisual Observatory, the European digital TV market is continuing to experience rapid development in Europe. According to statistics collated at the end of 2010, more than 400 HD channels were operating in the EU, compared to 224 at the end of 2009. This figure includes both HD specific channels and simulcasts of standard definition channels. A significant number of European public service broadcasters are also launching HD simulcast or HD specific channels. Sport remains the most important genre in HD television (approximately 20% of HD channels), followed by film, generalist and documentary channels. The distribution of HD television channels has also witnessed rapid development in the last year. At the end of 2010, two thirds of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) services offered HD channels and a third of IPTV services offered more than 10 HD channels. HD channels are now available on DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) networks in 13 countries (as compared to three networks at the end of 2009). With the digitisation of cable networks progressing (35% digital in the EU at the end of 2009) more and more HD channels are appearing. The offers of the major cable operators include between 8 and 23 HD channels. Countries where satellite packages offer more than 20 HD channels include France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK. In Hungary, Germany and Russia there are specific HD satellite platforms. It remains to be seen how widespread the take-up of 3D television will be in European homes. Again sport and film will be the most important content driving this technology. MAVISE indicates that more than 300 European television channels were launched in the course of 2010 in the European Union. At the end of 2010, there were 9,893 television channels in the European Audiovisual Observatory's 36 member states (7,622 in the EU). Of the 9,893 European channels 60.2% are regional or local channels and 39.8% are national and international channels, a relatively stable figure compared to the previous year. If one considers the geographic origin of European channels, it is the United Kingdom that leads with 1,222 channels established there at the end of 2010. Almost half of the channels established in the UK (588) are broadcasting to other European countries. Following the United Kingdom are Spain (1,180), Italy (1,059), Hungary (558), France (550) and the Netherlands (421). Regional and local channels are particularly numerous in most of these countries, in contrast to the United Kingdom. The concentration of the establishment of channels in the European Union in certain countries is considerable since five countries account for almost two thirds of all channels. However, these figures relate to the establishment of channels and not to their availability. For example 16 channels, including only 10 national channels, are established in Ireland but there are more than 500 channels available on Irish television screens. By the end of 2009, 56.1% of European homes (36 members States of the European Audiovisual Observatory) were digital, compared to 45.3% a year earlier. This figure rises to 71.5% if only European Union households are taken into account. The roll-out of digital terrestrial television, the digitisation of the traditional distribution platforms such as cable and satellite, and also the increasing take-up of IPTV in several European countries, are the driving forces of this digitisation. Between the end of 2008 and the end of 2010, cable operators still accounted for the biggest segment, although their number remained fairly steady, as, interestingly, did the number of IPTV and mobile television distributors in 2010. In contrast, pay-DTT and satellite operators increased in number. The MAVISE database is available at: http: //mavise.obs.coe.int. (I.L/transl.fl)