The number of digital TV connections in the Netherlands grew by 2.7% during the fourth quarter to 6.05 million, according to Telecompaper’s quarterly Dutch television subscribers report.
The total includes 3.42 million cable TV subscribers who have an analogue TV connection as well. The Dutch research firm expects digital TV connection to advance another 11% this year to 6.7 million connections, after a 13% in full year 2011.
Digital TV is now reaching 77% of all TV subscribers in the Netherlands. With more than 2 million digital TV homes, Ziggo was the largest digital TV provider in Q4, followed by KPN (1.4 million homes for its DTT and IPTV services combined), UPC (with just over 1 million homes) and satellite DTH provider Canal Digitaal. At the moment, Canal Digitaal does not issue any subscriber numbers.
Cable accounted for almost 57% of digital TV connections, although it lost some market share due to growing adoption of IPTV and FTTH services. Terrestrial and satellite were the second and third most popular digital technologies, but both also lost market share. IPTV and FTTH were able to up their share of the digital TV market, ending the quarter as the fourth and fifth largest technologies.
Digital TV growth was driven by an increasing number of operators offering triple-play services, such as Vodafone Netherlands offering services via FTTH networks. Another driver is ‘second screen’ TV services, which allow digital TV subscribers to watch TV also on their tablets, computers or mobile phones. The enhanced viewing experience, especially on tablets, may increase consumer interest in digital services and drive the shift away from analogue.
Most of the major Dutch TV providers have launched such services. KPN lead the way, adding live TV services to its mobile apps in September and launching a nationwide TV advertising campaign focusing on the second screen possibilities in March.
Ziggo enhanced its iPhone/iPad app with streaming TV at the end of 2011, and KPN brand Telfort launched its own app in February of this year.
Liberty Global’s UPC is also expected to follow soon with enhancements to its iPhone and iPad apps, possibly when it launches its Horizon set-top box later this year. LGI’s Mike Fries told Broadband TV News that there will be 100 channels on the tablet.
