Freesat has announced a positive start to the year, with take-up of its connected TV service, Freetime, doubling the number recorded for the same period in 2014.
Growth has been driven largely by a “user-friendly offering,” which Freesat says is continuously evolving and expanding through new channel launches and new product development.
Freesat added a total of 12,000 new homes during the first quarter of the year and is now used in 1.9 million households.
Mobile app downloads passed the half a million mark, bolstered by the roll-out of the app onto Kindle.
“I’m thrilled to report another strong quarter for Freesat that clearly demonstrates the continuing growth and strength of the UK’s free-to-air proposition,” said Alistair Thom, Freesat’s new managing director.
“With critically acclaimed programmes such as Breaking Bad now available through Spike, Freesat continues to support our ever expanding content offering with connected technology that empowers customers and their viewing habits.”
The FreeTV Alliance, the broadcast industry association that Freesat launched in late 2014 alongside partners Fransat (France), Tivusat (Italy) and HD Plus (Germany), also delivered on its initiative for open standards with the release of the first remote control specification.
With more releases to come the Alliance will continue to support the “growth and harmonisation” of free-to-air satellite TV services throughout Europe.
“Our efforts with the Free TV Alliance are also progressing as we work towards creating a common set of specifications and open standards. The Free TV Alliance can develop features comparable to pay-TV for manufacturers to readily adopt,” Thom added.
“Ultimately, we see an exciting opportunity for Freesat to engage commercially on an international scale.”
