Portugal ends 2011 with 2.9 million pay TV subscribers

Subscription TV: new customers prefer optical fibre

According to Portugal’s Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM), there were 2.9 million subscribers to subscription TV as at the end of 4th Quarter 2011 (4Q2011), 69 thousand more than in the previous quarter and 202 thousand more than in the same period of 2010. If the total number of private dwellings is considered, it appears that the penetration rate of subscription TV has reached 51.8 subscribers per 100 households.

As at the end of 4Q2011, the cable TV distribution service accounted for 48.6 percent of total subscription TV subscribers (0.6 percentage points less than in the previous quarter), while DTH represented 23.5 percent and ”other technologies” (xDSL/IP and FWA) accounted for 19.1 percent. The weight of optical fibre (FTTH/B) continues to increase, already accounting for 8.8 percent of total subscribers. FTTH/B offers made the largest contribution to the growth of the service, and was chosen, in net terms, by about 6 out of every 10 new customers.

Meanwhile, Grupo ZON/TV Cabo continues to have the largest market share in terms of subscription TV subscribers (53.9 percent), followed by PT Comunicações, with about 35 percent of total subscribers. Cabovisão remains the third largest operator, with a share of 8.6 percent.