Throng

In a year that will most likely be remembered for the economic downturn, Freeview has achieved its highest performing quarter since it launched in 2007.

The sales figures for the final three months of 2009 put the total number of households able to receive Freeview at 346,116. This figure combines the 189,708 Freeview satellite® homes (an increase of 11,791 from the last quarter) and 156,408 Freeview|HD® homes (an increase of 42,354 from the last quarter).

Freeview is now available in 21.6% of homes in New Zealand, an increase of 3.4% on the previous quarter, and can be attributed, in part, to the boost in sales of Freeview|HD® receivers, MyFreeview|HD® digital television recorders and Freeview|HD® integrated digital televisions.

The latest batch of quarterly Freeview figures illustrate that Kiwis are continuing to connect with more free-to-air channels, such as recent addition Prime, improved picture quality, an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) and no ongoing costs.

The appeal of such features has meant that the Freeview digital and radio broadcast platform continues to increase in popularity, so much so that it is now available in nearly 300,000 Kiwi homes around the country. This is well above forecast and at a quicker rate per capita than the majority of countries which have made the switch to digital television.

Latest sales figures for the three months ending September 2009 show that the total number of households able to receive Freeview is 291,853. This figure consists of 177,917 Freeview satellite® homes and 113,936 Freeview|HD® homes.

Tightened consumer spending, an increase in TV viewing habits and the improved affordability of Freeview|HD® receivers are all paying dividends for Freeview, with its latest round of quarterly figures confirming it is now available in more than a quarter of a million Kiwi homes.

The latest sales figures for the three months ending June 2009 indicate that the total number of households able to receive Freeview is 255,048.

This figure consists of 167,328 Freeview satellite homes (an increase of 11,846 from the last quarter) and 87,720 Freeview|HD® homes (an increase of 17,061 from the last quarter).

“There’s never been a better time to start planning how you change from analogue to digital TV than now by buying either a Freeview|HD® or Freeview satellite receiver ,” says Sam Irvine, General Manager, Freeview.

Rick Friesen, Chair of the board of Freeview, today announced the appointment of Sam Irvine as General Manager for Freeview.

“Sam has been Marketing Manager for Freeview since December, 2006. He has been an important part of Freeview’s successful development and his skills in the position made him the ideal candidate to take on the role of General Manager,” said Mr Friesen.
“The entire Freeview board expressed complete confidence in Sam and are convinced the organisation will continue its strong growth under his leadership” said Mr. Friesen.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Irvine said “I’m really looking forward to the prospect of embracing future technology and content so that Freeview can continue to offer consumers the best value for money possible.”

More than 14% of homes in New Zealand now have Freeview, the free to air digital television and radio platform, according to figures released today. This equates to nearly 10,000 new homes a month (or 72,000 new viewers over the quarter) now enjoying the benefits of crystal clear free-to-air digital television.

The latest sales figures for the three months ending March, 2009, indicate that the total households now reached by Freeview is  226,141, or 14.1% of permanent households. This figure is made up of the Freeview satellite service which launched in May 2007 (155,482 or 9.7%) and the Freeview|HDTM service, which launched in April last year (70,659 or 4.4%).

Steve Browning, General Manager of Freeview, has resigned his position effective Friday, 9 April to pursue new opportunities.  Mr. Browning led the launch of both the satellite and terrestrial Freeview platforms, taking New Zealand along the path to a fully digital television system.

Rick Friesen, Chairman of Freeview, paid tribute to the integral part Browning has played in the success and strength of the world class digital television platform that Freeview has swiftly become recognised as.

“This announcement is about celebrating our success to date and, more importantly, the exciting future that lies ahead of us. Steve presided over the launch and phenomenal growth of Freeview by ensuring it has become recognised as an internationally acclaimed free-to-air digital TV platform,” he says.

Steve Browning, GM of Freeview, today welcomed two major developments that have taken place in NZ Digital Television this week.

The first is the news yesterday that TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7 are set to become available to all Sky TV viewers.

"Freeview has never been about exclusivity. We are New Zealand’s only open digital TV and radio platform, which means we do not require any channel to be Freeview exclusive.

We always expected TVNZ 6 and 7 to be made available on Sky. The appeal of Freeview is that once you have purchased a Freeview approved receiver all the channels are free.

Conversely, with Sky TV you are paying a monthly subscription to watch free-to-air digital channels.

Freeview, the free to air digital television and radio platform, today released the latest quarter of retail figures for digital receiver sales.

At the end of 2008, 198,938 receivers had been sold, with an additional 38,442 sold during the three months ending 31st December. This equates to an estimated 12.6% of New Zealand homes now enjoying free-to-air digital television via Freeview’s crystal clear satellite and HD terrestrial services. The Freeview|HDTM service, which launched in April 2008, is growing rapidly with 53,522 HD capable receivers sold including over 13,000 in December alone.

“The feedback we’re getting from retailers around the country is that Kiwis are increasingly attracted to the sort of priceless entertainment that Freeview provides, courtesy of a one-off cost and no monthly subscription,” says Steve Browning, General Manager, Freeview.