13.8% of Portugal's TV subscribers on optical fibre

According to the Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM), in Portugal, at the end of 2nd quarter 2013 (2Q2013), there were 3.14 million subscription TV service (TVS) subscribers, 14 thousand (0.4 per cent) more than in the previous quarter and 63 thousand (2.0 percent) more than in the same period of 2012.

The growth reported in the service stems from the optical fibre (FTTH/B) and xDSL offers, where the number of customers increased by 4.8 and 3.4 percent, respectively, compared to the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the number of subscribers to cable TV distribution and DTH services fell, respectively, by 0.9 and 2.1 percent this quarter.

At the end of 2Q2013, the cable TV distribution service accounted for 45.6 percent of total subscribers, xDSL 20.5 percent and DTH 20.1 percent. Optical fibre (FTTH/B) represented 13.8 percent of total subscribers.

Three out of every four subscription TV subscribers received their service as part of a bundle. About 15.4 percent were double-play customers and 59.7 were triple / quadruple / quintuple-play customers. The growth rate in the number of bundles with TVS was 1.7 percent in 2Q2013.

Grupo ZON/TV Cabo continues to have the largest market share in terms of subscription TV subscribers (49.0 percent), followed by PTC and Cabovisão, with about 40.4 percent and 7.4 percent respectively.

Total revenues from the subscription TV service (stand-alone and packages that include this service) totalled 640.4 million euros in the first half of 2013 (increasing 3.6 percent compared to the same period of 2012).

Average monthly revenue related to bundles of services that include the subscription TV service fell 0.8 euros/month (-2.2 percent) compared to 2Q2012. Average monthly revenue relating to the separable TV service increased by 2.7 euros (8.9 percent).

At the end of 2Q2013, about half of households with subscription TV had over 80 channels and about 18.8 percent had access to premium channels, 5.4 percentage points less than in 2Q2012.

Subscription television service subscribers by technology (Units: 1000 subscribers; %)

                                                                   Quarterly     Annual
                                 12Q2   12Q3   12Q4   13Q1   13Q2  variation  variation
                                -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  ---------  ---------
Cable                           1,471  1,459  1,456  1,446  1,433      -0.9%      -2.6%
DTH                               668    671    660    646    633      -2.1%      -5.3%
FTTH/B                            341    370    394    414    434       4.8%      27.0%
Other technologies (xDSL, FWA)    599    607    612    623    644       3.4%       7.4%
Total                           3,080  3,108  3,122  3,129  3,143       0.4%       2.0%

Source: ICP-ANACOM

The ZON/TV Cabo Group continues to have the largest share of subscription TV subscribers (50.2 percent). PT Comunicações (PTC) and Cabovisão follow with shares of 39.2 percent and 7.84 percent, respectively.

Shares of subscription TV subscribers (Units: %)

                             12Q2    12Q3    12Q4   13Q1   13Q2
                           ------  ------  ------  ------  ------
Grupo ZON/TV Cabo           51.4%   50.6%   50.2%   49.7%   49.0%
  ZON TV Cabo Portugal      47.9%   47.1%   46.8%   46.3%   45.6%
  ZON TV Cabo Açoreana       1.5%    1.5%    1.5%    1.4%    1.4%
  ZON TV Cabo Madeirense     2.0%    2.0%    2.0%    2.0%    2.0%
PT Comunicações             37.6%   38.6%   39.2%   39.9%   40.4%
Cabovisão                    8.3%    8.1%    7.8%    7.6%    7.4%
Vodafone                     1.3%    1.4%    1.4%    1.4%    1.8%
Optimus (ex-Sonaecom)        1.2%    1.2%    1.2%    1.2%    1.2%
Other providers              0.2%    0.2%    0.2%    0.2%    0.2%

Source: ICP-ANACOM