Dutch digital TV households pass 2 million milestone, accelerating growth of IPTV customers

July 9, 2007 - According to Telecompaper, the number of digital TV connections in the Netherlands grew 5.9 percent to pass the 2 million mark during the first quarter, ending the period with 2.12 million subscribers. The number of total Dutch TV connections grew by 0.3 percent during the quarter to 7.026 million, despite a 1.9 percent drop in analogue TV connections to 4.91 million.

Digital’s share of the total TV market passed the 30 percent mark, according to Telecompaper’s report on TV connections in the Netherlands, “Dutch Television Market Q1 2007”.

The cable network operators continue to dominate the Dutch TV landscape, with a share of 87.7 percent of the entire TV market and a growing share of the digital TV market. Year-on-year, cable saw its digital TV market share grow by more than 20 points, to 69 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2007. UPC saw its share of the total TV market and digital TV market fall to 24.1 percent and 31.1 percent respectively, but it is still the largest TV provider with 2.198 million customers on 31 March 2007. The penetration of digital TV on the Dutch cable networks passed the 20 percent mark during the first quarter of 2007, ending the period with 20.3 percent.

The quarterly growth for the second quarter is expected to be around 10 percent, driven by cable network operators Delta and Casema, because they lag behind in digital penetration. “Furthermore, the growth of IPTV customers will accelerate, driven by stronger marketing for KPN’s Mine service from the autumn of 2007,” Telecompaper analyst Kamiel Albrecht says. This will lead to an estimated 2.6 million digital TV customers at the end of 2007.