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published:
06-May-08
territories:
UK - Europe
categories:
New product/service, Regulatory/legal development
Freesat service brings free HD to UK
New free UK digital satellite platform Freesat launched its service May 6th with an offer that looks set to compete head-on with existing digital multichannel services. The not-for-profit platform run by the BBC and ITV was conceived as a fill-in service for UK homes unable to receive digital terrestrial signals from Freeview. But with a number of key differences, Freesat has made clear that it will offer a distinct proposition using technological innovation and HD channels to differentiate itself. Despite months of anticipation, the launch was a relatively low-key affair with just 46 TV channels available on day one (not counting regional ITV and BBC feeds). The service will be sold through high street retailers with set-top boxes supplied by Humax, Goodmans, Bush and Grundig and IDTVs from Panasonic. Navigation will be through a 10-genre electronic programme guide, although in a slightly unusual move, the exact lay-out of the EPG is not standardised across the available set-tops and IDTVs. Standard definition boxes will start at £49, with HD boxes from £120. PVR boxes from Humax will be made available shortly for £150. Customers will also have to book an £80 engineer install that will include the cost of the dish although homes with an existing dish will be able to plug-and-play. Channels are charged a flat fee of £30,000 a year for carriage to cover the cost of marketing, product certification, EPG management and interactive TV developments. Freesat as such is not transmitting any specific feeds but packaging feeds that are already available from Astra and Eurobird on 28.2 East. However, it will carry the ITV HD channel exclusively.
Our take...
The Freesat approach is interesting in the way the platform has positioned itself so distinctly from the Freeview service it is intended to mirror. The channel line-up at launch is significantly different from Freeview. It is not surprising that free channels from pay TV operator Sky are not available on the Freesat platform. Sky runs its own little-publicised Freesat service and is anyway hoping to withdraw its channels from Freeview to launch a DTT pay TV offer. Perhaps more notable is the absence of Channel Five and its theme channels Five US and Fiver. Virgin Media/BBC joint-venture channels Dave and UK TV History are also absent as are ITV2 and Channel Four plus-one feeds. Further, the platform launched with just one HD channel from the BBC, despite the fact that HD content was seen as a key differentiator in the UK market where Sky has to date been the sole provider through a pay TV tier. Freesat said it will add ITV HD 'within a few weeks'. It will remain exclusive to Freesat accessible through the platform's red-button interactive interface based on MHEG-5 middleware. The exclusivity seems intended as a direct response to Sky's exclusive carriage of Channel Four HD. Both exclusive deals appear questionable given the public service remits of the UK incumbent broadcasters. Freesat claims it will expand its channel range to 200 (including radio channels) by year end.
One clear strategic play that Freesat seems to be keeping on the back-burner is its potential for hybrid delivery through IPTV streaming. All Freesat boxes will be equipped with an ethernet port and HD Freesat boxes will be 'fullly IPTV compatible from launch'. This provides a route for integration with home networks and for the delivery of open Internet content or future integration with existing services like the BBC iplayer (recently made available via Virgin cable boxes) Channel Four's 4oD and ITV's catch-up TV service. All are currently available on the open Internet and are soon to be integrated through a single portal dubbed Kangaroo.
The success of Freesat as a distinct UK multichannel platform would seem to rest on technological innovation such as this. A free HD offer, availability of reasonably-priced PVR boxes and home network connectivity will allow Freesat to stand out in a crowded UK digital market. Content remains key, however, and it will be interesting to see how quickly Freesat can develop its channel line-up. For advertising supported channels, carriage on the platform would seem to be a no-brainer, perhaps more so given the leakage of the signals into continental Europe. Screen Digest currently forecasts just over 1.8m free satellite homes in the UK by 2012, accounting form around six per cent of TV households.
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Analyst, market intelligence & notices
Reports
(5) 1-5 showing
HDTV 2008: Global uptake, strategies and business model...
This new HD report focuses on business models, costs and benefits derived from HD services, notably from a pay TV operator perspective. The report is mostly centred on broadcast HDTV and pay HDTV across all platforms (satellite, terrestrial, cable, IPTV) but it is also looking at the overall migration to HD in all audiovisual services and devices (displays, set-top boxes, online HD, hi-def video, hi-def gaming, hi-def VOD).
published:
01-Jul-08
territories:
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea. Rep [S], Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK, USA - Asia-Pacific, Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, Europe, Africa and Middle East, Nordic Region, North America, Regional Totals
Vincent Létang
The Business of Children's Television
Covering Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, this report includes comprehensive data on spending on originated and acquired children's programmes, together with the value of the home entertainment market and licensing. The report also details hours of children's programmes transmitted over the last five years, the number of theme channels, and viewing by the children's audience. Profiles of the 25 leading players in the business are provided, including production and exploitation strategies, financial results and key properties.
published:
20-Jul-07
territories:
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan
Guy Bisson
Tim Westcott
European Broadband Cable 2007
The seventh edition of this best selling report is the only study of the European cable industry that is fully endorsed by Cable Europe (previously ECCA) and its members. The report contains a detailed analysis of 22 Western and Eastern European cable markets - for each country coverage includes homes passed, cable TV, telephony, Internet, unique cable homes, digital vs analogue as well as breakouts for cable TV, telephony and Internet revenues.
published:
20-Jun-07
territories:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
Guy Bisson
Maria Aguete
Chris Dziadul
European Digital Terrestrial Television: Market assessm...
The latest report from Screen Digest provides a detailed analysis of the European
digital terrestrial television (DTT) market in 15 Western and 4 Eastern European markets.
The report includes historical and five year forecast household and penetration data for free,
pay and top-up DTT as well as penetration numbers for cable, DTH and IPTV.
published:
21-Jan-06
territories:
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Ukraine - Central and Eastern Europe
Guy Bisson
Chris Dziadul
European IPTV: Market assessment and forecasts to 2009
This report considers the prospects for IPTV services in sixteen European markets and the threat posed to the more established pay TV operators. Analysing key factors in each market the conclusions illustrate those countries best placed to take advantage of the triple play and advanced on demand services offered by IPTV operators.
published:
16-Nov-05
territories:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Slovenia
Daniel Schmitt
Articles
European pay TV giants hold sway
Key DTH satellite broadcasters face continuing challenges for pay TV rights, especially in sports
published:
26-Mar-08
territories:
France, Italy, Spain, UK, Germany - Western Europe
Tim Westcott
Rapid on-demand growth in Europe
Increased availability of content has changed the pay-per-view landscape
published:
26-Mar-08
territories:
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, UK - Europe
Richard Broughton
Euro HDTV channels expand
There were 78 high-definition channels on air in Europe at the end of Year Two, the year's launches roughly divided between free-to-air, basic pay and premium platforms. But the real channel surge is yet to come. New operators and major sporting events will boost the profile of HDTV in 2008.
published:
22-Feb-08
territories:
Albania, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK - Benelux, Europe, Nordic Region, Western Europe
Vincent Létang
Internet protocol TV market
Although IPTV as a platform has yet to achieve a subscriber base to rival that of cable or satellite, it has made serious gains in the years since it first arrived in Europe. France, is, and will remain, the main market for IPTV in Europe, with seven operators and a penetration rate of over 14 per cent. Its market share (now over 50 per cent of Europe's IPTV viewers) will decline as other European IPTV services start to take hold. By 2011, 65 per cent of European IPTV viewers will be outside France.
published:
23-Jan-08
territories:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, Switzerland, Portugal, Ireland, Denmark - Central and Eastern Europe, Europe
Richard Broughton
Advertising market under pressure
Advertising market under pressure: TV ad revenues will struggle to match an already sluggish GDP growth in the next five years in Europe and the US. 2008 in particular is uncertain, between 'quadrennial' drivers (Sports, US elections) and adverse economic conditions
published:
23-Jan-08
territories:
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, USA - North America, Western Europe
categories:
Market data/forecast revision, General market development
Vincent Létang
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Western Europe
ARPU
