Freesat surges ahead with 2 million sales

[dave-h]

• Original sales projections exceeded

• Freesat remains the fastest-growing TV platform in the UK

• 82% of Freesat retail sales are High Definition boxes / TVs

• 47% of Freesat customers switched from Sky in 2011 to date

Freesat today announced it has sold its 2 millionth unit, far exceeding original sales projections made when the company launched three years ago, and taking gross retail sales to nearly £1 billion since launch in 2008.

According to Freesat customer research, a record 47% of its customers have come from Sky households so far in 2011. Freesat also remains the fastest growing TV platform in the UK, adding c.88,000 new homes in Q2 2011 – more than doubling Sky’s net additions of c.40,000 in the same period.

Emma Scott, Freesat’s Managing Director, attributes the company’s success to the commitment to offering customers what they really want to watch, subscription-free and without any additional charges for channels or services that they don’t want.

Scott said: “We launched three years ago and in that short time have quickly established ourselves as a real challenger and genuine alternative to pay-TV. With five HD channels, access to the BBC and ITV Players, as well as Freesat+ all available subscription- free, we’re giving customers a high quality service without a high price.”

Freesat has also committed to a regular, twice yearly update of its market performance from this point onwards. The company will also be launching the next stage of its product and service development in early 2012.

Source

http://www.freesat.co.uk/2m

[brain]

Well done - long may they prosper and if they take away from Sly that is all to the good!! Beats phone hacking!! LOL. Brain

[Detlef]

But there are households with both Sly and Freesat over here.

If you only want the FTA HD channels it makes sense to buy a Freesat HD receiver to escape the Sly £10 rip-off. That pays for a non pvr HD box in the first year alone. Also some Freesat boxes have DiSEqC so can be used for the FTA HD channels from other Sats, for example, the 12 FTA ones on 19E.

[Aldo]

Sagemcom to manufacture Freesat G2 boxes

Sagemcom has been confirmed as the lead manufacturer on Freesat’s next generation of set-top boxes, slated for launch in early 2012.

Labelled G2, the new receivers are expected to include HbbTV protocols as well as the ability for Freesat homes to order paid content through the devices.

Humax, which took a lead role on the first generation of boxes, will produce Freesat G2 receivers later in the year.

“Freesat has worked closely with both Sagemcom and Humax in the past and we are pleased to be partnering with them again on our exciting next stage of product development,” said Freesat MD Emma Scott. “We have now hit the 2 million sales mark, beating our original projections and adding more homes each quarter than any other TV platform. An important part of our success to date has been the quality of our technology and the manufacturing partners we work with.”

Freesat will release further details of its next generation set-top boxes later in 2011.

[fred fickle]

Any news on the proposed BBC iplayer for Europe or even the ITV player for internet tv in Europe, seems the expats are forgotten on FREESAT!!