Unexpected Triumph For Freeview
Freeview is the “unexpected triumph of Britain’s digital changeover”, according to a new study published today by the European Media Forum.
The study predicts that the format is on course to overtake Sky as Britain’s leading home broadcast supplier.
The platform has exceeded expectations since its launch in 2002 and has sold 13 million set-top boxes to date, with the free-to-air service now available in 6.4 million homes.
Sky’s penetration currently stands at around 8 million households after almost 20 years in operation. Meanwhile, NTL and Telewest cable TV platforms have a total of 3.3 million subscribers and free-to-view satellite services have 645,000.
According to the study: “Freeview seems to have captured not just an economic niche, but a broadcasting comfort zone. Thanks to its serendipitous quantum of channels – not too few, not too many – it seems to have captured a hitherto unexpressed desire for ‘television plus’ in middle Britain.”
The study does not provide any forecasts for future growth but said that the service would be able to adapt to any changes in the broadcast market.
“Freeview has the flexibility to play a significant role in any conceivable future model, whether relying on licence-fee support, new forms of public funding, the advertising market or subscription systems. It can be aligned to broadband interactivity and it is spawning Tivo-type hard drive, PVR and DVD recordability as well as online download.”
Six major manufacturers have signed up to produce Freeview Playback digital TV recorders, with some devices slipping into the market via Sony centres in time for Christmas, despite a delay to the product’s major marketing campaign (see Freeview Playback To Be Widely Available By Next Summer).
Freeview channels are also available on BT’s new television service BT Vision, which launched this week (see BT Vision Trickles Onto Market Next Month). The new package aims to bridge the gap between Freeview and pay-TV operators by allowing viewers to watch channels from the free-to-air platform and store up to 80 hours of programmes on a dedicated set-top box.
Freeview: 08708 80 99 80 www.freeview.co.uk