Press release from Access PR
Freeview, Australia’s free digital television service, has packed a popular punch over the summer viewing season, with ratings and audience share figures eclipsing pay TV.
OzTAM figures show that Freeview’s five primary channels and 10 digital multi-channels delivered no fewer than 1,493 out of the top 1,500 TV programs over summer, with pay TV trailing far behind for the paltry remainder.
Crucially, Freeview scored not just an important summer ratings win overall, but its 10 digital multi-channels alone delivered more viewers than the 100-plus channels broadcast on pay TV combined.
Freeview CEO Robin Parkes said: “This is absolute proof of how Australian viewers have moved to embrace Freeview and the 10 new digital multi-channels launched in only a little more than two years since we started operating.
“We’ve shown Australian viewers that they don’t need to pay to get a huge variety of quality first run, exclusive and live programming, and they’ve responded in their millions,” she said.
Figures from OzTAM show that Freeview’s five primary (ABC1, Seven, Nine, TEN and SBS ONE) and its 10 digital multi-channels increased their audience by 1.7 share points in 2010/11 weeks 49-52/1-5 compared with 2009/10.
The 10 digital multi-channels by themselves delivered an average total prime time audience of 832,000 during the summer, which is 1.5 per cent more than the 100+ pay TV channels over the same period, 2.1 per cent more people 25-54, and a whopping 15 per cent more grocery buyers.
“This is a fantastic result for Freeview and once again highlights how we have changed the face of TV in Australia by giving viewers what they want to watch, and all for free,” Parkes said.