Half of Europe signed up to satellite TV

Direct-to-home satellite provider SES Astra has announced significant growth in Europe, with half of TV households in the continent receiving its services.

Over 122 million homes now receive SES Astra analogue or digital satellite signals, with the biggest growth in the UK, France, and Ukraine.

Digital satellite is a major growth area, with 6.1 million new homes signing up in 2008, bringing total subscribers to 47.2 million.

Satellite is proving to be a key driver for digitalisation and HD services.

Fifty two percent of all digital TV households receive their signal through satellite. This is three times as many as those who receive digital TV through cable.

Nearly 70 HDTV channels are delivered by satellite to 1.9 million homes across Europe.

Alexander Oudendijk, SES ASTRA’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are benefiting from strong dynamics in several growth markets and sectors across Europe and North Africa.

“Our success encourages us to continue our strategy of being a neutral service partner for broadcasters, not investing in content and programmes but in high-end technology that will take the development of TV to the next generation.”