The number of digital TV connections in the Netherlands rose 1.8% in the fourth quarter to 6.375 million, according to Telecompaper’s quarterly Dutch television subscribers report.
The total includes 3.65 million cable TV subscribers who also have an analogue TV connection. Digital TV is now used by slightly more than 82% of TV subscribers in the Netherlands.
Telecompaper included retail revenues for the consumer TV market for the first time; these amounted to EUR 372 million in Q4.
Ziggo was the largest TV operator at the end of 2012, both in the total TV market and the digital TV market, followed by KPN, UPC and CanalDigitaal.
Most consumers receive digital TV via cable networks. Cable accounted for 57.3% of digital TV subscribers in Q4, despite losing market share due to the growing adoption of IPTV over DSL and FTTH services.
DSL became the second-largest technology on both the total and digital TV markets, passing terrestrial and satellite. Satellite was the third-largest technology on both markets, passing terrestrial, and fibre ranked fifth on both markets.
For 2013, Telecompaper lowered its growth outlook for the digital TV market to 7.5%. The total TV market is expected to grow slightly less than 1% over the same period.
