Freesat sees strong growth in connected homes

UK free-to-view satellite platform Freesat saw the number of homes connected by both satellite and broadband rise by 54% in the year to March, while sales of Freesat connected devices rose by 18% year-on-year.

The total number of Freesat homes remains flat at 1.93 million. The increase in the connected base is due to satellite viewers upgrading to take on-demand services, including the UK public broadcaster catch-up offerings.

Freesat said that international sales of its technology, which is marketed under the Metaphor brand, would be a key focus this year, following its deal to supply the Freetime connected TV-based UI to RTÉ in Ireland to power the Saorview connected TV offering.

“By adding more quality channels and on-demand services to our subscription-free platform, we’re able to offer consumers an attractive alternative to expensive TV contracts and hefty bills. As always, we’re focusing on giving customers choice to watch the TV they want and plan to bring even more channels and players to the platform in the near future,” said Freesat managing director Alistair Thom.