Freeview 'to end 2004 with 5m homes'

net1

Freeview looks set to burst through the 5m home mark by the end of the year, putting the free-to-air digital service on track to catch digital leader Sky within 12 months.

According to a MediaGuardian report, 50,000 set-top boxes are rushing off the shelves each week, with 2004 sales expected to top 3m.

David Chance, who runs paid-for Freeview add-on service Top Up TV, predicted Freeview would be in 8m homes by the end of next year.

"By December 2005, the Freeview platform could be as big as Sky, which is a very big milestone," Chance is reported to have told an industry lunch.

Chance - a director at ITV plc and a former BSkyB deputy CEO - claimed his own service was comfortably on target for 250,000 subscribers within two years of launch.

In May, Chance announced Top Up TV - which offers a package of channels including E4 and UK Gold for £7.99 per month - had gained 20,000 subscribers in its first month after launching at the end of March.