Freesat’s installed base grew by 145,000 homes in the last 12 months as the PSB-controlled platform continues to put pressure on pay-TV rivals.
The 15% increase comes against the background of a strong first 12 months for YouView – also operated by the PSBs, which with the involvement of BT and TalkTalk arguably sits on the fence between free and pay – and continued success for Freesat.
“Our continued strong results show thousands of people making the smart choice of Freesat as the alternative to expensive TV contracts,” commented Freesat managing director Emma Scott. “As take up across the UK has increased, so has our offer. We continue to add new channels and on demand services and invest in cutting edge technology. We will soon deliver more features to our next generation service, including the addition of Demand 5, a remote app for smart phones, and in the future, additional movie and music channels.”
Freesat has sold 3.3 million set-tops since its launch in 2008 and is currently in 1.8 million homes.
BSkyB, which will report Thursday, remains the leader in the satellite market with in excess of 10 million homes.