Satellite reaches 1.9 million TV households – more than 55 per cent of the Austrian population uses satellite

In 2007, ASTRA further increased the number of digital satellite TV homes in Austria by 470,000 to 1.44 million households (+48.4 percent). ASTRA thus is not only the infrastructure most used in Austria, but also the driving force and the motor of digital TV. In total, Austria counted 3.44 million analogue and digital TV households last year. The number of satellite homes amounts to 1.90 millions (55 percent); cable serves 1.25 million TV households (36.5 percent) and 250,000 (7.2 percent) households receive terrestrial television. While cable only slightly declined compared to the previous year, the terrestrial reception via antenna showed a significant decline of 130,000 households. These are the results of the latest “Satellite Monitor“, conducted annually by the market research institute GfK Austria on behalf of SES ASTRA. For the monitoring, 2,000 telephone interviews were conducted all over Austria at the end of last year. The methodology as well as the results were confirmed by independent institutes.

With an increase of 54.7 percent, the number of Austrian digital homes has raised significantly last year and currently counts 1.81 million TV households. For 1.46 million digital TV households, the digital satellite is the preferred reception mode, an increase of 45.5 percent compared to last year. Nationwide, the satellite therefore serves four of five digital households. 170.000 TV homes are being served by cable (9.5 percent); 150,000 TV households (8.2 percent) receive their digital programmes exclusively terrestrially. Currently, 40,000 Austrian TV homes (1.9 percent) receive digital television primarily via DSL.

In 2007, the switch-over from analogue to digital satellite reception has advanced significantly in the Austrian market. The number of analogue satellite households has decreased from 770,000 in 2006 to 440,000. In contrast, the number of digital satellite homes grew from 1 million to 1.46 million within one year.

“Austria is the number one among the satellite countries in Europe and continues to show outstanding growth rates“, said Wolfgang Elsäßer, Managing Director of ASTRA Germany. “With an increase of nearly 50 percent compared to last year, the satellite clearly proves to be the motor of digitalization. We have consequently enhanced our offer in the past year and now provide 374 digital TV channels for the Austrian market. With this variety of high-quality programmes, I am absolutely confident that we will be able to convince more and more viewers of our digital offer in the future.”

About SES ASTRA         www.ses-astra.com

SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 12 ASTRA and three SIRIUS satellites. The combined satellite system delivers services to more than 117 million DTH and cable households and transmits a total of 2,295 analogue and digital television as well as radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia, internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments and their agencies. With 30 High Definition (HD) channels available via its satellites today, ASTRA and SIRIUS represent the most important HDTV broadcasting platform in Europe. The prime orbital positions for ASTRA and SIRIUS are 19.2° East, 28.2° East, 23.5° East and 5° East.  

SES ASTRA is an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG). SES owns three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES, which provide global coverage and connectivity. The company owns 90 percent of SES SIRIUS in Europe, as well as strategic participations in Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 38 satellites in 25 orbital positions around the globe. Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com