Digital Market Static in UK

Despite the launch of lower cost digital adaptor boxes available from the High Street, the digital market has not grown. The latest research from Ipsos-RSL' s digital survey, DART shows that 35% of UK households receive digital TV services - no change from last October.

It is likely that the fall of ITV digital and the negative publicity that followed has affected potential growth. However, indications for future growth are more positive with a 5% increase in the percentage of households likely to get digital in the coming year. This still leaves 60% of households without digital TV and with no intentions of making the transition.

One in ten digital homes claims to have paid a one-off fee, avoiding the route of monthly payments, and key to this is the fact that smaller households, those without children, and those new to multi-channel TV are more likely to be tempted by this offer. These are precisely the groups who form the bulk of resistors, and suggests that the lower cost, one-off fee adaptor boxes have a future. However, the equivalent of 16 million adults claim that nothing would persuade them to have digital, with 17 million showing no interest in extra channels for no extra cost. Of those who are interested, many of the free-to-view channels are seen to have limited appeal. Therefore whilst extra channels could entice some resistors to move to digital, the free-to-view package may well not be enough.

On a more positive note, 4 in 10 digital subscribers claim to have interacted with TV programmes. Big Brother has been the most popular series for this (18% of all digital subscribers), followed by sporting events -11% of digital subscribers claiming to have interacted with World Cup programming.

DART, Digital Audience Research Tracker, is a quarterly survey covering all aspects of digital TV from planned uptake to use of the electronic programme guide. DART is conducted by Ipsos-RSL on Capibus, the Ipsos UK omnibus, which interviews a nationally representative sample of 2000 people in their homes across Great Britain every week.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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