UK pay-TV subscribers are not particularly minded to give up their pay-TV subscriptions for YouView, as they currently understand it, with only 3% (about 800,000) of all UK TV homes that are current pay TV subscribers “very likely” to switch out of pay-TV for YouView. In addition, only a further 1% (about 250,000) of all UK TV homes that were considering subscribing to pay-TV in the future were “very likely” to reconsider their choice and subscribe to YouView instead.
This surprising finding was provided by Mark Oliver, chief executive, Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates, in a presentation entitled Making Money in the On Demand Media Age.
Among the other findings, based on a company survey undertaken last month, were that a much higher percentage of TV homes (18%) were “quite likely” to switch to YouView on their main set and 6% “quite likely” on their second one.
Oliver conceded that viewers may not yet know enough about YouView and could change their consumption habits from next year.
Speaking in a panel discussion, YouView chief executive Richard Halton said that, “we are trying to achieve a seamless blend of linear and on demand through a single common interface.”
He added: “The biggest threat to YouView is confusion and apathy. YouView has to simply and clearly peg out the territory of connected TV.”