Freeview HD Sales Surpass 3 Million in UK

Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Freeview logo

1 in 5 Freeview homes now connected to Freeview HD

Freeview, the UK’s largest digital TV service, today reveals it has sold more than three million Freeview HD devices.

Around 18 million homes across the UK now have Freeview, with 10.2 million on a main television set. Of these main sets, 1.75 million are currently connected to the Freeview HD service.[1]

Figures until the end of September reveal a total of 3.1 million HD televisions and boxes have been sold since the service launched in March 2010. The vast majority – 90 per cent – of Freeview HD devices sold are televisions.[2]

Freeview HD currently offers four HD channels – BBC One HD, The BBC HD Channel, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD with a fifth channel due to launch in April 2012.

Ilse Howling, Managing Director of Freeview, said: “Breaking through the three million sales barrier is huge achievement for Freeview HD.

“Television remains an incredibly important part of people’s lives and Freeview has continued to provide the most-loved programmes in the format people want since Freeview launched in 2002. Our focus now is to ensure we continue to develop and give viewers what they want over the next 10 years, post-switchover and beyond.

“We’re seeing a shift in what viewers want from their TV provider. The ability to access high definition has become something people expect as normal when buying a new television. Also, most Freeview HDTVs and some Freeview+ HD recorders now offer smart features giving viewers access to more entertainment such as BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Facebook.”

Currently 80 per cent of the UK can receive HD through Freeview which will increase to the whole country when digital switchover is completed next October.

70m Freeview products have been sold since the subscription-free digital TV service launched in 2002.

[1] BARB Establishment Survey, Q2 2011
[2] GfK LekTrack, end September 2011