Only One In Ten Very Interested In Freeview
Freeview could face an uphill struggle over the next year as it competes for audience share with Sky and cable digital services, according to new research from BMRB.
The figures show that only 9% of those without digital TV said they would be very interested in buying a £99 set-top box to receive Freeview next year. A further 19% of respondents said they would be “quite likely” to upgrade to the digital terrestrial service, meaning that the majority of respondents currently have no interest in the free-to-air platform.
The research, which is the first wave of the Audience Interaction Monitor (see BMRB To Undertake Research Into Interactive Audiences), will come as a blow to the Government, which is hoping to switch off the existing analogue signal by the 2006/2010 deadline. It comes on top of a recent survey by Ipsos-RSL which found that only 5% of households were planning to switch to digital television in the next year (see Freeview Could Face An Uphill Struggle).
The BBC recently declared the launch of Freeview a success, announcing that over one million people have requested information on the new digital terrestrial platform in the month since its launch (see BBC Revives Digital Terrestrial TV With Freeview Launch).
According to the Freeview consortium, which comprises BBC, BSkyB and Crown Castle, around 400,000 calls have been made to the Freeview information line and 600,000 unique users have visited the platform’s website, www.freeview.co.uk (see Freeview Boosts Prospect Of Analogue Switch Off).
However, the research from BMRB shows that of the 41% of UK adults able to receive digital TV at home, just 8% currently have access to digital terrestrial television, compared to around 70% that subscribe to Sky and 23% that currently receive cable digital.
BMRB International’s senior associate director, Gary Austin, said: “The results of this survey show that those involved in digital TV still have a lot to do to convince consumers of its benefits.”
The research also questions the effectiveness of interactive advertising, with only 13% of digital viewers claiming to have ever interacted with an ad via digital TV. Just 5% of Freeview viewers say they have engaged with an interacted ad, compared to 17% of Sky Digital viewers and and a mere 3% of cable viewers.”
Austin added: “Interactive advertising is still in its infancy with the vast majority of digital viewers yet to have interacted with an ad via digital TV. Advertisers are still learning how best to use the medium. That said, for each element of the interactive package, there exists an enthusiastic niche audience to build upon.”
BMRB: 0208 566 5000 www.bmrb.co.uk
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