Digital Television Update Chart Pack for Q4 2012 April 2013
1 Digital Television Update: key findings In Q4 2012, 98% of households (25.1m) received digital television over any platform, an increase of nearly 5 percentage points (pp) on Q4 2011 (Figure 1). The remaining 2% of households included households that watched television through a connected device (e.g. a games console), households that did not have a TV set and any other households whose TV sets could not receive a digital signal (Figure 2). Seventy-five per cent of households watched TV over a digital terrestrial signal in Q4 2012, an increase of 0.5pp on Q4 2011 (Figure 1). In Q4 2012, 54% of households subscribed to pay TV, up by 2pp on Q4 2011. Thirtyseven per cent of households subscribed to pay satellite in Q4 2012, the same proportion as in Q4 2011. Thirteen per cent of households subscribed to cable in Q4 2012, which was also the same proportion as in Q4 2011 (Figure 5). In Q4 2012, 3.4% of households had multichannel platforms other than digital terrestrial, satellite and cable (for example BT Vision), up by 1.4pp on Q4 2011 (Figure 1). There were an estimated 2.12m free-to-view digital satellite households in Q4 2012, up from 2.04m in Q4 2011, according to our survey data (Figure 7).
2 Background to the survey and methodology This is the final Digital Television Update and follows the completion of the switchover to digital terrestrial television. The GfK consumer research used in this report is based on a panel of 12,000 households surveyed quarterly via the internet and by telephone. The survey provides data on ownership and acquisition of television sets and other receiving equipment such as set-top boxes. The ratio of online to telephone interviews is designed to specifically meet demographic representative quotas. The error margin for the research results is estimated to be within 1-2pp (up to +/-500,000 households). GfK s sample was located in Great Britain only and did not contain households in Northern Ireland.
Figure 1 Platform take-up survey results: Q4 2012 In Q4 2012 98% of households received digital television over any platform Annual change (vs Q4 2011) 4.6pp 4.6pp 0.5pp 0.4pp 0.3pp 0.2pp 0.3pp 1.4pp 0.2pp -2.6pp Quarterly change 1.3pp 1.3pp -0.6pp -0.3pp 0.3pp 0.5pp -0.2pp 1.0pp 0.2pp -3.3pp Take-up (% households) 25.1m 25.1m 100% 80% 60% 19.2m Households (m) 40% 98.0% 98.0% 75.0% 10.3m 9.4m 20% 0% Total multichannel Total digital All homes using digital terrestrial 40.2% 36.8% Digital terrestrial-only Pay satellite 3.3m 2.1m 0.9m 0.2m 13.0% 8.3% 3.4% 0.9% 0.0% Source: Ofcom / GfK NOP consumer research. Sample GB only. Note: Analogue terrestrial take-up no longer appears on this chart, as from Q4 2012 television could no longer be watched via an analogue signal. Cable Free-to-air satellite Other pay TV Pay digital terrestrial 0.0m Analogue terrestrial 3
4 Figure 2 Digital / multichannel take-up survey results: 2001 - Q4 2012 (% households) Take-up of satellite and cable as a proportion of all households was stable in 2012 Take-up (% households) 98.0% 100% 87.2% 89.6% 92.1% 93.1% 93.4% Data from 2007 is based on consumer research 98.0% 80.3% 87.1% 89.2% 92.0% 93.1% 93.4% 80% 71.8% 79.6% 64.9% 69.7% 60% 56.7% 61.9% 48.0% 44.7% 41.7% 43.2% 53.0% 38.5% 30.9% 22.4% 25.0% 28.6% 29.1% 31.3% 35.7% 36.6% 36.8% 41.3% 44.2% 45.1% 45.0% 40% 33.1% 25.3% 37.9% 38.5% 39.8% 39.6% 39.2% 40.2% 20.3% 33.0% 20% 14.8% 14.5% 13.4% 13.5% 13.2% 13.2% 13.0% 12.5% 13.2% 13.1% 13.0% Total multichannel Total digital Satellite Cable Digital terrestrialonly 4.5% 5.2% 5.9% 14.1% 0% 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Q4 2012 Source: Ofcom / GfK NOP consumer research from 2007. Sample GB only. Previous quarters include subscriber data and Ofcom estimates for digital terrestrial and free-to-view satellite.
Figure 3 Platform take-up survey results: Q4 2001 - Q4 2012 Over 25m households received a digital multichannel signal in Q4 2012 TV households (m) 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Q4 2001 Multichannel Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q4 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 take-up (TV households) 10.8m 11.4m 13.3m 15.5m 18.0m 19.9m 21.9m 22.6m 23.1m 24.3m 24.9m 25.1m Multichannel take-up (% all households 44.3% 46.0% 54.2% 62.6% 71.8% 78.6% 86.5% 88.9% 91.4% 92.5% 93.4% 98.0% Analogue terrestrial only* Digital terrestrial only Analogue cable Digital cable Free-to-view digital satellite Pay digital satellite Source: Ofcom / GfK NOP consumer research from 2007. Sample GB only. Note: (1) Previous quarters include subscriber data and Ofcom estimates for digital terrestrial and free-to-view satellite. *Some analogue terrestrial only households would have watched TV through a device connected to their set (e.g. a games console), through another connected device or misreported themselves as analogue terrestrial. From Q2 2012 GfK amended its questionnaire in regions where switchover was complete so that non-multichannel households were no longer recorded as TV households. 5
6 The survey data indicates a decline in the total number of TV households from Q2 2012 (Figure 3). GfK amended its questionnaire in regions where switchover was complete from Q2 2012, ceasing to record households that claimed to be analogue terrestrial only. However, as households were able to claim to be analogue terrestrial only in previous quarters, the change to the questionnaire may have exaggerated the drop in the total number of TV households between Q2 and Q4 2012. Ofcom s Technology Tracker survey asks respondents what kind of TV signal they receive in their home. In January-February 2013, when switchover was complete across the UK, we saw no increase in the number of households that did not receive a TV signal.
7 Figure 4 Digital platform overlap: Q4 2012 (000s households) 6,244,000 households received both Sky and Freeview signals in Q4 2012 Freeview only 10,294 6,244 2,527 13 Sky only 2,688 487 Cable only 249 Source: Ofcom / GfK NOP consumer research. Sample GB only.
8 Figure 5 Summary: Multichannel take-up and market share survey results Fifty-four per cent of households received pay TV in Q4 2012 Q2 2011 Q3 2011 Q4 2011 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 Multichannel take-up (% households) Cable Satellite Digital terrestrial Other platforms Total multichannel 43.0% 39.9% 1.8% 93.4% 43.8% 40.1% 1.7% 94.0 % 44.4% 39.8% 2.0% 93.4% 45.1% 39.2% 1.9% 93.4% 12.6% 45.3% 40.0% 2.6% 96.2% 12.6% 45.0% 40.4% 2.3% 96.7% 13.0% 45.0% 40.2% 3.4% 98.0% Pay TV take-up (% households) Cable Pay satellite Pay digital terrestrial Other pay platforms Total pay TV 35.5% 1.2% 1.8% 51.5% 35.5% 1.1% 1.7% 51.2% 36.5% 0.7% 2.0% 52.0% 36.6% 1.0% 1.9% 52.4% 12.6% 36.5% 1.0% 2.6% 52.6% 12.6% 36.5% 0.8% 2.3% 52.2% 13.0% 36.8% 0.9% 3.4% 54.1% Share of multichannel TV market (% multichannel households) Cable Satellite Digital terrestrial Other platforms 13.8% 46.0% 42.7% 2.0% 13.7% 46.6% 42.6% 1.8% 13.8% 47.6% 42.6% 2.1% 13.8% 48.3% 42.0% 2.0% 13.1% 47.0% 41.6% 2.7% 13.0% 46.4% 41.8% 2.4% 13.3% 46.0% 41.0% 3.4% Source: Ofcom / GfK NOP consumer research. Sample GB only.
9 Figure 6 BSkyB results: Q2 2011 - Q3 2012 Pay digital satellite: BSkyB Q2 2011 Q3 2011 Q4 2011 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Pay-TV satellite subscribers* 10,213,000 10,253,000 10,268,000 10,288,000 10,308,000 10,333,000 Sky Multiroom subscribers 2,295,000 2,350,000 2,378,000 2,402,000 2,423,000 2,467,000 Sky+HD subscribers 3,925,000 4,063,000 4,222,000 4,343,000 4,468,000 4,561,000 ARPU (annualised)** 535 544 546 548 550 568 Churn** 11.1% 9.6% 10.1% 9.9% 10.9% 10.3% Source: BSkyB quarterly results. Quarters relate to calendar year. * These figures are for BSkyB s subscribers in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. ** BSkyB s ARPU and churn rates relate to their total consumer division (TV, telephone, and internet services).
10 Figure 7 Free-to-view satellite survey results: Q2 2011 - Q4 2012 Free-to-view digital satellite Free-to-view digital satellite households Q4 2009 Q4 2010 Q4 2011 Q4 2012 643,000 1,585,000 2,040,000 2,120,000 Source: Ofcom / GfK NOP consumer research. Sample GB only. Note: These figures are estimates calculated using survey data and were not published by a provider.
11 Figure 8 Virgin Media results: Q2 2011 - Q4 2012 Cable: Virgin Media Q2 2011 Q3 2011 Q4 2011 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 Total TV subscribers 3,767,700 3,762,000 3,763,100 3,775,300 3,767,700 3,778,400 3,795,500 Total subscribers (TV, telephony, internet) 4,784,300 4,790,600 4,805,600 4,826,800 4,812,100 4,851,600 4,894,300 TiVo subscribers - 162,900 435,000 677,100 938,800 1,140,000 1,330,000 ARPU (annualised)* 568 574 574 563 586 585 586 Churn* 4.2% 5.1% 3.9% 3.6% 4.2% 4.2% 3.3% Source: Virgin Media quarterly results. Quarters relate to calendar year. *Virgin Media s ARPU and quarterly churn are estimated from reported monthly ARPU and churn rates and refer to all Virgin Media cable customers (of TV, telephone and internet services).