UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has published its sixth annual Communications Market Report. Among the TV-related highlights:
- At the end of March, over a quarter of UK homes (27%) had a DVR, representing an increase of 29% since September, 2008.
- Around 9 million DVR's have been sold in the UK, the majority (over 5 million) of which are Sky+ boxes.
- In UK DVR homes, 15% of TV viewing was timeshifted in 2008.
- Around a fifth (19%) of viewing in Sky+ homes is timeshifted, while in homes equipped with Virgin Media's V+ DVR service 12% of viewing is timeshifted; in Freeview DVR homes, meanwhile, around 9% of viewing is timeshifted.
- Around 8 out of 10 TV viewers with a DVR say that they watch more programs that they enjoy, and over 40% say that they have watched a greater variety of programs, since getting a DVR.
- Nearly a quarter of UK households were watching catch-up TV online in 2008, compared to 17% in 2007.
- Online catch-up TV has been significantly driven by the BBC iPlayer, with 15% of UK Internet users now watching the service, double the figure for this time last year. ITV's catch-up service was next, at 3.3%.
- 78% of TV viewers say that they enjoy programs more because they have access to a catch-up service.
The full text of the report's TV section is available online at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/cm/cmr09/CMRMain_2.pdf
