Media regulator Ofcom says the number of UK households choosing to receive pay-TV services is now close to 50%.
According to the quarterly Digital Progress Report for the fourth quarter of 2008, 49.5% of households have a pay satellite or cable service on their main television set, up from 48.6% on the previous quarter.
However, there is also evidence that the free-to-air satellite service Freesat is failing to expand the market. Although the BBC-ITV venture had reached 233,000 sales by the end of December 2008 and was reporting 300,000 in March 2009, the regulator says that the 600,000 households receiving free satellite services was similar to previous quarters.
The total number of households with DTT on any set now stands at 17.7 million of which 9.5 million are households with ‘Freeview’ alone.
88.8% of households now receive digital television, an increase of 2.4 percentage points on 2007.
About Julian Clover
"In an industry that experiences rapid change and often a confusing subsequent
constant supply of news, it is often refreshing to read an insightful perspective. Broadband
TV News and its editorial team regularly provide a context and
helpful analysis to breaking news.”
Broadband TV News is the must-read publication for those working in the Business of the Multiscreen Television. We deliver news, insight and data direct to your desktop. As well as our constantly updated website you can sign-up to our Daily and Weekly email bulletins. 
Connected TV Forecasts NEW REPORT. The number of TV sets connected to the Internet will reach 551 million by 2016 for the 40 countries covered in this report from Digital TV Research, up from 124 million at end-2010. The report states that this translates to 20% of global TV sets by 2016, up from only 6% at end-2010. Published in November 2011, this 83-page PDF report is the most geographically comprehensive to ever be published.