Television subscription revenue surpassed television advertising spending in western Europe for the first time last year, according to research by a leading advertising buyer.

ZenithOptimedia, a unit of Publicis, the French marketing services group, said inflation-adjusted revenues from cable, satellite and digital terrestrial television in western Europe rose 6.7 per cent from $29.4bn in 2004 to $31.4bn in 2005. By comparison, inflation-adjusted television advertising spending in western Europe edged up only marginally from $30.7bn in 2004 to $30.8bn in 2005.