Satellite Dish Ownership

According to new figures from GfK Marketing Services Ltd, the number of households in Great Britain with satellite TV dishes grew by 22,000 in May to 3,076,000. This is the lowest monthly increase since July 1994, and suggests that recent price cuts and special offers, which have reduced the cost for a dish to below £100 for the first time, have not boosted the market.

In a nationwide household survey conducted at the end of March, 312,000 householders said they intended to acquire a satellite dish at some point over the next 12 months – the lowest figure GfK has recorded since June 1993. The figure last year was 361,000.

At the end of March, a total of 4,059,000 households in Great Britain – 17.9% of total households, were receiving satellite broadcasts, either through dishes or cable TV subscriptions. 707,000 households intended to buy a satellite dish at some point in the future; and 1,463,000 households planned to subscribe to cable TV if and when it became available to them.

GfK also found that figures from the end of March show that the North of England has the highest penetration of satellite dishes and London has the low- est. Cable TV is strongest in the regions (London and East Anglia) where satellite dish ownership is least popular.

GfK: 01932 354911