Canal Plus total domestic digital subscriber base increased
01/27/99
Interspace
(c) 1999 Phillips Business Information, Inc.
Canal Plus total domestic digital subscriber base (including cable)
increased from 757,000 to 1,323,000 in 1998, while international
digital subs increased from 469,000 to 1,220,000. Canal recorded
500,429 new subs to its domestic premium service over the year, 75
per cent of which were for the analogue over-the-air service. The
churn rate, at 8.5 per cent, was slightly down on last year, when it
was 9.3 per cent. Canal Satellite had 1.1 million subs at the end of
the year, a net increase of 332,000. Canal Satellite is reported
still to have around 10,000 subscribers to the analogue version,
transmitted via the Telecom platform - these are not included in the
figures. Canal Plus has been winding the analogue bouquet down since
the launch of digital in 1996 and has offered financial incentives
for subscribers to transfer.
Internationally, Canal Plus Horizons achieved substantial growth in
Morocco thanks to a joint promotion with Eutelsat. In Spain, most of
Canal Satelite Digital's growth came from analogue conversions as a
result of a marketing campaign. In Scandinavia, Canal Digital
increased its subscriber base by 40,000 in the last three months of
the year, while in Poland, the launch of the Cyfra+ digital bouquet
attracted, according to Canal Plus, a reported 60,000 subscriptions
and 40,000 reservations by the end of the year.
The arrival of the new year has brought good news to Telepiu in
Italy, with the number of subscribers exceeding the 1.5 million mark,
while the number of decoders installed has passed 1.1 million
(500,000 for the digital satellite service).
The increase in subscriptions during December was more than
satisfactory, with a record of 4,800 set on December 23, while the
number of digital subscribers has nearly trebled in the period
January-December 1998. Thanks to this performance, Italy has recorded
the largest percentage growth in Europe, confirming it as the third
largest digital market in Europe, after France and Spain.
Canal+ quarterly and annual subscription figures
France
Subscriptions 31.12.98 30.09.98 31.12.97
Canal Plus (premium) individual 4,441,515 4,366,695 4,308,005
Canal Plus (premium) collective 302,361 292,491 285,210
Canal Satellite Numerique (bouquet) 1,108,436 963,744 776,489
NC Numericable (bouquet) 354,975 352,192 340,135
International
Subscriptions 31.12.98 30.09.98 31.12.97
Africa 148,148 123,866 120,355
Belgium (Francophone) 177000 171,297 181,500
Belgium (Flemish) 171,405 166,036 161,026
Canal + (premium) 159,412 157,449 161,026
Canal Digitaal (bouquet) 11,993 8,857 -
Spain 2,192,964 2,111,679 1,725,062
Canal + (premium) 1,593,614 1,564,122 1,464,894
Canal Satelite (bouquet) 599,350 547,557 260,168
Italy 1,509,821 1,374,789 1,119,826
Tele + (premium) 965,840 920,573 868,164
D+ (bouquet) 348,411 281,485 150,857
+ Calcio (football) 195,570 172,731 100,805
Netherlands 270,129 244,087 224,126
Nordic countries 605,835 531,948 500,289
Canal + (premium) 375,669 333,531 302,494
Canal Digital (bouquet) 230,166 198,417 197,795
Poland 335,334 245,835 237,610
Canal + (premium) 275,279 245,835 237,610
Cyfra + (bouquet) 60,055 - -
Source: Canal+
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