Freesat sees strong growth driven by Freetime

UK free-to-air satellite platform Freesat added 36,000 new homes in the fourth quarter, bringing its annual additions to 61,000 and taking its total base to 1.93 million homes.

Freesat said users of its Freetime connected TV service had soared, with 13% growth in sales year-on-year. The company said that over 700,000 people had downloaded the Freetime app, currently available across iOS, Android and Kindle devices. The app can be used as a remote control, to set recordings remotely, or to plan viewing through the TV Guide and Showcase recommendation service.

The platform has recently expanded its offering with the addition of PBS America, Fox International Channels’ YourTV and UKTV channels Yesterday, Drama and Really, along with the launch of Netflix on Freetime in December.

Freesat also secured the first third-party sale of the technology platform for Freetime to Irish pubcaster RTÉ for its forthcoming Saorview Connect connected digital-terrestrial TV offering.

Alistair Thom, Freesat’s managing director, said: “The most recent quarter’s figures highlight the growing appetite for subscription-free connected TV. We invest in developing market-leading technology and delivering quality content to provide an unbeatable connected-TV experience, at no monthly fee. We offer over 200 subscription-free channels and popular On Demand players, more than any other free-to-air provider, which continues to attract customers.”