22 October 2008
A number of digital TV customers are considering cancelling their paid subscription services and turning to Freeview as the credit crunch puts a squeeze on household finances. This is the conclusion of a new report by Continental Research, which found that almost one-quarter of pay-TV customers plan to terminate their contracts or cut back on the number of channels and additional services they subscribe to in the next 12 months. By contrast, 13% of those questioned said they planned to get Freeview at some point over the coming year. This is in addition to the 15% of consumers who already have access to it. "Our research suggests Freeview is going to benefit from consumer worries about the credit crunch at the expense of some of the paid-for services," said Tim Barber, associate director at Continental Research. In related news, Digital UK revealed recently that almost one-third of all television sets in the UK are still tuned to analogue just one month ahead of the start of the digital switchover.