SES ASTRA has published the latest results of its Satellite Monitors. The ASTRA Satellite Monitors, undertaken by leading research institutes in Europe on a yearly basis, are considered an industry benchmark due to their high quality information and key data on the European DTH markets.
The latest polls confirm ASTRA’s sustained audience growth within its footprint in 34 countries. By the start of 2005, the number of homes served by audiovisual broadcast and broadband services via the ASTRA Satellite System at the orbital positions of 19.2º and 28.2º East reached 102.7 million. This represents an increase of 8.3 million households or 8.8 %
Within the 30 traditional countries yearly surveyed by SES, the number of ASTRA homes increased by 3.6 million, pushing total ASTRA coverage in satellite and cable to 98.0 million homes. Furthermore, SES ASTRA measured for the first time ASTRA reception in Bosnia (520,000), Serbia (840,000), Morocco (2.78 million) and Tunisia (580,000). The surveys reveal that ASTRA is delivering services to an additional 4.8 million homes in these countries.
The research furthermore confirms the status of ASTRA as the leading satellite system for direct-to-home reception (DTH) in Europe. By the beginning of 2005, more than 41 million households in Europe and North Africa received ASTRA services directly via satellite, up from 36.4 million in 2003¹. Another 61.3 million homes receive ASTRA content via cable.
The study illustrates the success of both ASTRA direct-to-home platforms at 19.2° East and at 28.2° East: the DTH audience receiving via ASTRA at 19.2° East increased by 4.6 million (+16%) to 33.7 million homes. The ASTRA satellites at 28.2° East reached 7.6 million homes (representing an increase of 0.4 million or +5% compared to last year) – predominantly in the UK & Ireland.
France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK remained the traditional key markets for ASTRA satellite reception. ASTRA’s overall audience growth is driven by the ongoing increase of digital direct-to-home (DTH) reception across most European countries. At the beginning of 2005, 24 million homes received digital services via ASTRA at 19.2° or 28.2° East, up from 17.7 million at year-end 2003¹
ASTRA has consolidated its strong position in the digital marketplace in a very competitive environment. Three out four digital satellite homes within the ASTRA footprints receive services carried by ASTRA. As a consequence, digital reception now accounts for 58% of ASTRA’s total DTH reception, up from 49% in 2003¹
Last but not least, ASTRA is received by 17.3 million exclusively analogue satellite homes. 70% of these homes (more than 12 million) are located in the German-speaking countries with a strong analogue channel line-up.