United Kingdom - Convergence - Triple Play & Digital TV

Synopsis

The UK remains at the forefront of media convergence in Europe. The country’s universal DSL and extensive cable network have been extensively upgraded to provide an excellent delivery platform for converged and bundled offerings. The digital broadcasting industry, including satellite, digital cable, digital terrestrial and IPTV services, is well established. The UK has the highest level of digital TV penetration in Europe, with a substantial multichannel environment. This report examines the UK’s markets for bundled and convergent services in 2010, including developments in Video-on-Demand, IPTV and VoIP. It also assesses the country’s broadcasting markets, providing statistics and analysis on the closing analogue FTA environment and the pay TV and cable sectors.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
  
• 2. Convergence
  
  • 2.1 Overview of media convergence
    
  • 2.2 Key general trends
    
  • 2.3 Digital media
    
    • 2.3.1 Business models – bundled offers
      
  • 2.4 Regulator issues
    
    • 2.4.1 Ofcom
      
    • 2.4.2 Digital Dividend Review
      
    • 2.4.3 Releasing dividend spectrum
      
    • 2.4.4 DTTV pay services
      
    • 2.4.5 Digital switchover licensing
      
• 3. Digital TV (DTV)
  
  • 3.1 Broadband TV (IPTV)
    
    • 3.1.1 British Telecom
      
    • 3.1.2 BBC
      
    • 3.1.3 BSkyB
      
    • 3.1.4 Freeview
      
    • 3.1.5 Virgin Media
      
    • 3.1.6 Tiscali TV
      
    • 3.1.7 Other developments
      
  • 3.2 Cable TV
    
    • 3.2.1 Virgin Media
      
  • 3.3 Satellite TV
    
    • 3.3.1 Ofcom pay-TV market review
      
    • 3.3.2 BSkyB
      
    • 3.3.3 Freesat from Sky
      
    • 3.3.4 FreeSat from the BBC
      
  • 3.4 Digital Terrestrial TV
    
    • 3.4.1 Set-top Boxes (STBs)
      
    • 3.4.2 Personal Video Recorders (PVRs)
      
    • 3.4.3 BBC
      
    • 3.4.4 Freeview
      
    • 3.4.5 BSkyB
      
    • 3.4.6 Virgin Media
      
  • 3.5 Video-on-Demand (VoD)
    
    • 3.5.1 Virgin Media
      
    • 3.5.2 BBC
      
    • 3.5.3 ITV
      
    • 3.5.4 Other developments
      
  • 3.6 VoIP
    
    • 3.6.1 Regulatory issues
      
    • 3.6.2 VoIP issues to be addressed
      
    • 3.6.3 British Telecom
      
    • 3.6.4 Orange
      
    • 3.6.5 Global Crossing
      
    • 3.6.6 Other developments
      
  • 3.7 Interactive TV
    
    • 3.7.1 Sample services
      
    • 3.7.2 ITV on cable
      
• 4. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Availability of digital services – June 2009
• Table 2 – Adoption of services – March 2009
• Table 3 – Broadcast HD homes by provider – 2006 - 2009
• Table 4 – Proportion of bundled services by type – 2005 - 2009
• Table 5 – Proportion of homes with bundled services by type – March 2009
• Table 6 – Virgin Media proportion of triple play subscribers – 2008 - 2009
• Table 7 – Virgin Media bundled services subscribers by type – 2008 - 2009
• Table 8 – Statistical overview of the digital TV market – 2006 - 2009
• Table 9 – Market share of TV homes by platform (primary sets) – 2005 - 2009
• Table 10 – Digital TV uptake, share of main TV sets – 2005 - 2009
• Table 11 – BT Vision subscribers – 2007 - 2009
• Table 13 – Virgin Media ARPU – 2007 - 2009
• Table 14 – Virgin Media revenue by sector – 2005 - 2009
• Table 15 – Free-to-view satellite households - 2003 - 2009
• Table 16 – BSkyB subscriber statistics - 2005 - 2009
• Table 17 – BSkyB revenue by sector - 2008 - 2009
• Table 18 – BSkyB annualised ARPU - 2005 - 2009
• Table 19 – BSkyB revenue, operating profit and annual change - 2007 - 2009
• Exhibit 5 – Digital broadcasting switchover timetable – 2008 - 2012
• Table 20 – Homes equipped for DTTV – 2006 - 2009
• Table 21 – DTTV equipment sales – 2005 - 2009
• Table 22 – Cumulative DTTV equipment sales – 2006 - 2009
• Table 23 – Online TV revenue – 2005 - 2008
• Table 24 – Virgin Media VoD use – 2007 - 2009
• Table 25 – Virgin Media V+ base – 2008 - 2009
• Table 26 – VoIP users as % of total Internet subscribers – 2005 - 2008
• Table 27 – BT VoIP subscribers – 2006 - 2008

• Exhibit 1 – Overview of media convergence
• Exhibit 2 – Operators’ service bundling offers – 2010
• Exhibit 3 – Technology developments in bundled services – 2010
• Exhibit 4 – Snapshot of digital TV services and providers – 2009
• Exhibit 6 – Popular VoIP providers – 2009