ASTRA COVERAGE IN SPAIN UP BY 30% More than 70 million ASTRA households in Europe

In Spain and due to the success of CanalSatélite Digital, ASTRA now reaches 970,000 out of 1.13 million direct receiving satellite homes, an increase of 30%. ASTRA total coverage now amounts to 1.36 million, 12% of all Spanish TV homes. According to Instituto DYM, the market in 1998 will further increase, considering that another 1.35 million Spanish households claim to be interested in satellite TV. This is an increase of 50% over the last 12 months.

ASTRA is the first satellite system in the world to exceed 70 million connected households. ASTRA continues to lead the market in Europe, reaching 93% of all satellite and cable homes representing 43% of all TV households. 24.8 million are direct-receiving satellite homes (DTH/SMATV). Year on year, this represents an increase of 1.8 million (8%) in satellite homes, showing that ASTRA’s analogue and digital programme offers are both in strong demand. At the same time, ASTRA reception in cable increased by 1.7 million or 4%, now reaching 45.7 million households.

At year end 1997, ASTRA digital households in Europe totalled 1.2 million, reflecting the success of digital packages particularly in Spain and France. Overall growth in the ASTRA penetration figures was also driven by the UK, Germany and Poland.

These are key results of the Year End 1997 Satellite Monitor commissioned by Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) with leading market research institutes in 22 European countries. The ASTRA Satellite Monitors apply widely accepted research standards of the TV industry and use harmonised research methodologies.

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