Pay TV in South Africa is booming with more South African viewers switching to become pay television subscribers, leaving free-to-air TV channels behind, leading to a decline in viewership for analogue television in the country.
''In mid-January 2012 the updated AMPS 2011a universe will be released. DStv penetration will show a significant increase. Analogue [television] penetration will drop. What is essentially happening is that free TV channels are losing upmarket viewers to subscription television in South Africa,'' says dr Chris Eyre, the managing director of AGB Nielsen Media Research in South Africa.
He was speaking this morning to advertisers, media planners, press and industry stakeholders about the growing impact of time-shifted viewing (TSV) in South Africa's television environment.
''DStv Compact subscribers are growing at an incredible rate,'' he says, ''which is going to lead to dramatic changes for the entire industry. It's affecting everything. The overall TV households in South Africa are growing, but inside that pay TV is growing phenomenally and changing the structure of TV households a lot. All of this is reducing, or flattening analogue viewership.''
Almost a third – 30% – of all TV households in South Africa are now DStv viewers in some way. ''TopTV is growing. The structure of TV households in South Africa is changing rapidly. DStv Premium is now at 1,6 million South Africa households. DStv Compact is now at 1,5 million South African households.''
''DStv Compact is on the brink of catching and possibly overtaking DStv Premium – it's just spectacular growth coming through in the pay television market. That affects analogue TV viewing and will continue to increase time-shifted viewing,'' said dr Chris Eyre.
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