70% of Dutch TV connections are digital

HOUTEN, The Netherlands — The number of digital TV connections in the Netherlands grew by 3.8 percent or 204,200 net additions during the first quarter of 2011 to 5.56 million on 31 March 2011, according to Telecompaper’s quarterly Dutch Television Subscribers report. The total digital TV users include 3.16 million cable TV subscribers that have an analogue TV connection as well. Digital TV increased its share of the entire TV market to 70 percent. The total number of Dutch TV connections increased to 7.94 million on 31 March 2011.

Most consumers receive digital TV via cable networks. Cable accounted for 56.8 percent of digital TV connections, after growing by 0.6 percent during the quarter, followed by terrestrial with 15.9 percent and satellite TV with 15.3 percent (both also losing market share). IPTV and FTTH were able to increase their share of the TV market to 9.8 percent and 2.2 percent respectively.

“After 15 percent annual growth in 2010, we expect the number of digital TV connections to grow by 12 percent in 2011,” said Telecompaper analyst and report author Kamiel Albrecht. “This will lead to a total of around 6 million digital TV connections at the end of this year.”

On the digital TV market, cable operator Ziggo is the largest provider with a market share of 34.5 percent. KPN consolidated its position as the second-largest digital TV provider in the Netherlands, ending Q1 2011 with 22.2 percent of the market, followed by cable operator UPC with 16.6 percent and satellite TV provider CanalDigitaal with 14.0 percent.