Freeview ahead of Sky

June 21, 2007

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MORE than four out of five homes have digital TV, with Freeview overtaking Sky in popularity.

TV regulator Ofcom says Freeview features on the main household TV set in 8.4 million homes compared to Sky's eight million.

Between January and March the number of main household TV sets with Freeview increased by 700,000, while Sky's customer base grew by 32,020.

There were 1.96 million Freeview set-top boxes and integrated digital TV sets sold in the first three months of this year - up 61 per cent year-on-year.

Just over 80 per cent of homes now have digital TV on their main set compared with 77.2 per cent the previous quarter, ahead of the switchover from the analogue signal to digital which will begin this autumn. It will take place in Greater Manchester in 2009.

The number of cable TV subscribers rose to 3.4 million in the first three months - its highest level of take-up in five years.

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Mattherw Wright (21/06/2007 at 12:23)

Well its Freeview is overtaking sky because it happens to be FREE

PW, Manchester (21/06/2007 at 13:33)

I've got Sky downstairs and Freeview upstairs. I reuse to pay for another box just to get the same service in another room. I know I can have Sky piped upstairs, but you can only have one programme on at a time throughout the house. And yes, Freeview is better value for money, as it costs nowt. But you still have to pay for the BBC's existence though.

wkdboy1, Hyde (21/06/2007 at 14:16)

Yea and sky are also taking the sky channels away from freeview as they have seen a threat like they had with virgin, so soon enough we will see the bully rear out of sky again!

Guten Tag (21/06/2007 at 19:30)

I would think Sky would take note of Freeviews status. Sky is expensive. Maybe it's time for a rethink over your pricing, eh, Sky?

Wor Bobby, Salford Quays (04/07/2007 at 11:13)

This is not about competition between Sky & Freeview, it's because analogue services are about to be switched off. The majority of tv's now sold include a digital tuner (Freeview)built in, so it was inevitable that this would one day be the case. It is in no way a reflection on cost or quality of either service.

Joey, Ashton under Lyne, (04/07/2007 at 11:47)

I would question the stats, i know lots of people who only have the 5 basic channels and myself and three of my friends do not have TV at all.

Puffing Billy, Outside (04/07/2007 at 12:18)

Freeview is poor quality TV and unreliable.

Whereas Sky is excellent quality and very reliable.

I do not belive that if viewers had to choose one way or the other - based on the above AND cost, they would choose Freeview.

Blue Chris, On The Blue Moon (09/07/2007 at 09:09)

£15 for basic Sky is a rip off - it's all repeats and generally low budget broadcasting- with far too many adverts.
Nethertheless I still pay it!
Role on the start of the premiership season and I'll be upgrading to the Sky Sports package !

eddie g, stoke (30/08/2007 at 03:03)

what i dont get is why we have to pay for a tv license on top of a subscription, i watch bbc about twice a month, and thats hardly ever bbc 1 or bbc 2.

bbc is a waste of money, at least with sky you you get to choose what stations you want and you get a lot more

Black Flag (30/08/2007 at 12:08)

Eddie G, I have to disagree. You only have to see the terrible quality of news coverage in the US to see what happens when all television is commercial and controlled by corporate interests.

The BBC is a British institution that should be defended as strongly as the NHS. You only have to see the repsonse following the dodgy dosier affair to see how much corrupt politicians fear it.

The Catcher, In the Rye (30/08/2007 at 13:29)

Eddie G, I have to agree. You only have to see the fantastic quality of news coverage in the US to see what happens when all television is commercial and controlled by corporate interests - as opposed to intellectuals and politicos with an axe to grind.

The BBC is a British institution that should be disbanded, like the NHS. You only have to see the repsonse following the dodgy dosier affair to see how much politicians despise it.

Black Flag (30/08/2007 at 13:58)

Catcher, if politicians despise it, that's a pretty strong argument in favour of it as far as I'm concerned.

The Catcher, In the Rye (30/08/2007 at 14:36)

Black Flag _ yer go on then. I'll give you that one :-)

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