Anyone who currently watches television often sees a commercial that says that Germany is saying goodbye to cable TV. Is this type of reception actually threatened with extinction? We clarify.
Tenants will have to say goodbye to cable television from summer onwards or take action. (Source: sumners/depositphotos.com)
- The additional cost privilege in Germany ends on July 1st.
- Cable television in rental apartments can then no longer be billed as additional costs.
- Instead, tenants must sign their own cable contract or choose another reception method.
Since January, a spot has appeared more frequently during TV commercial breaks stating that Germany is saying goodbye to cable television. The advertising clip comes from Zattoo, a service that offers television over the Internet. And even if it sounds like it in the commercial, cable television in Germany is NOT about to end. Zattoo, on the other hand, is alluding to the end of the additional cost privilege. This only affects you if you live in a rented apartment and get cable television through your landlord.
This will no longer be possible from July 2024. Then the additional costs privilege, which currently allows landlords to bill the cable fees as additional costs, ends. On the one hand, this made it possible to offer favorable conditions for cable television in large apartment buildings, but on the other hand, you also had to pay for the cable connection if you didn’t want to use it at all. This is now over. From summer onwards, every tenant can decide for themselves whether and how they want to receive their television program.
Things are only changing for tenants when it comes to cable television
Of course, this is still possible via the cable socket in the apartment, but you now have to sign a contract with the respective provider (e.g. Vodafone or PYUR), for which a monthly fee is due. This may be slightly higher than the amount you currently pay for the reception through your additional costs. Vodafone estimates that cable television will be one to two euros more expensive.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. For example, PYUR offers individual special prices for the new basic cable television contract. According to reports, these charge between 3.50 and 10 euros per month. You can check how much you would pay with PYUR by entering your address on the provider’s website.
Price comparison is worth it
Nevertheless, providers like Zattoo are hoping for an increase in subscribers as a result of the change in the law and are offering reception of the TV signal via the Internet as a cheap alternative.
At Zattoo, for example, you can watch TV over the Internet for just €6.49 a month with the “Smart HD” package. It contains over 160 channels in HD. For comparison: With Vodafone you pay at least 8 euros per month for the “TV Connect Start” package, but you only see 97 television programs, 28 of which are in HD quality as well as regional and foreign language channels and more than 80 radio stations.
Zattoo is not the only provider that enables the reception of television over the Internet. With apps like Joyn, for example, you can watch numerous channels legally. We introduce you to the best apps for free TV reception in the linked article.
No cancellation necessary
As a tenant, you don’t have to cancel your cable TV subscription. The receipt via the landlord expires automatically. However, the end can take place earlier than July 1st; this depends on your landlord’s individual contracts with the cable operator. However, you will be informed about this in good time by your property management.
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