Freeview success gives UK DTT hope

In the UK, over 300k digital terrestrial adapters have been sold in the first two months since the launch of Freeview, the new digital terrestrial platform operated by the BBC and Crown Castle.

The figures, compiled from data from retailers and manufacturers, cover the nine-week period from the launch of the DTT service on October 30. Sales per week since launch average over 33k adapters.

Andy Duncan, BBC director of marketing & communications, said: {It's still early days for Freeview, but these figures show that there's undoubtedly a major opportunity out there for the idea of simple, free digital television.{

Cabsat broadcaster Flextech Television this year entered the terrestrial free-to-air sector with the launch of Ftn, a new channel that will air across all digital platforms, including Freeview.

Meanwhile, with new music channels from MTV and Emap and a selection of news channels, Freeview is pulling in subscribers at five times the rate achieved by its predecessor, the ill-fated ITV Digital, and is now available in around 1.5m homes.