The number of digital TV connections in the Netherlands grew by 0.9% during the first quarter of 2014 to 6.72 million on March 31, 2014.
According to Telecompaper’s latest quarterly Dutch Television Market report, digital TV was used by 86.8% of TV subscribers in the Netherlands, including 3.71 million cable subscribers who also have analogue TV connections. The total TV market grew to 7.74 million connections at the end of March 2014.
Cable still accounted for over half (55.2%) of digital TV subscribers in Q1, despite losing market share due to the growing adoption of IPTV services over DSL and fibre networks. DSL was the second most common way to receive TV, followed by satellite. Fibre passed terrestrial during the first quarter to become the fourth largest digital TV technology in the Netherlands.
Ziggo was the largest TV provider at the end of the first quarter of 2014, both in the total TV market and the digital TV market. KPN, UPC and CanalDigitaal followed in the rankings.
“The digital TV market is expected to grow by around 5 percent during 2014 to almost 7 million connections at year-end,” said Telecompaper analyst and report author Kamiel Albrecht.
“While growth is slowing somewhat at the cable operators, the DSL and fibre providers continue to increase their TV customer numbers.”
Telecompaper estimates that the retail revenues* for the consumer TV market totaled EUR 402 million in the first quarter of 2014, slightly higher than in Q4 2013. The revenues are expected to continue to grow at 0.2% CAGR until 2018.
