Christmas
sales surge puts ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s extra channels in a million new homes and takes
Freeview to five million households
Record Christmas
sales have propelled the number of Freeview households up to the five
million milestone, taking the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s extra channels and services into
at least one million more homes, initial sales figures indicate.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ estimates that 1.5m digital terrestrial set
top boxes and integrated sets were sold in the three months up to 25
December.
In each of the two weeks before Christmas (weeks ending 18 and 25 December)
a record 190,000 flew out of the shops, comfortably beating Christmas
2003's best of 140,000 in one week (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ estimates based on weekly sales
figures).
The vigorous growth of Freeview is helping the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to
move closer towards its aim of achieving universal access to its digital
services.
The rapid uptake of digital television is also making the Government's
goal of digital switchover more attainable.
In the two and a half years since the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ started promoting its digital
services, the proportion of viewers who say they won't get digital television
in the next year has plummeted from 35% to 21% (source: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ tracking
survey).
Just under 4m households (3.9m) had Freeview at the
end of September 2004, according to Ofcom's figures.
Taking into account a proportion of boxes and sets bought for homes
that have access to digital TV already - about a quarter - today's sales
estimates would indicate that about 1.1m homes got digital terrestrial
for the first time in the last three months of the year, bringing the
total number of Freeview homes to five million.
In total 13.9m households had access to digital television
at 30 September - of which 7.4m were through satellite, about 2.5m digital
cable and 3.9m were Freeview only homes.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s recent "Boxer" on-air digital access
campaign promoted all routes to the six extra ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ channels and services
- cable, satellite and Freeview.
Ilse Howling, Head Digital Marketing and Communications for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½,
said: "It's fantastic news that so many people are now switching
on to digital television and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s six extra channels through Freeview
and other platforms.
"Free digital television has a huge appeal and shows no signs of
slowing down."
Notes to Editors
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is a key player in driving digital take-up and a Freeview shareholder,
along with BSkyB and transmission company Crown Castle.
Freeview gives viewers access to about 30 channels of digital television
via their aerials for a one-off cost from around £50.
It came into being at the end of October 2002.
The digital terrestrial broadcasts which carry Freeview
reach about 75% of UK households.
Coverage can only be increased at analogue switchover to avoid interference
with existing analogue signals.
The Government is expected to declare a timetable for digital switchover
in the near future.
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