Thailand beats French benchmark in digital TV coverage, NBTC says
Play
DIGITAL terrestrial TV will cover 93 per cent of households nationwide this year, faster than France’s analog-digital TV transition, which was used as Thailand’s benchmark, according to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, which ha
“Our mission is on the right track. The roll-out by major providers of digital terrestrial TV networks is expected to reach 95 per cent of the 22.3 million households by June next year after the completion of 93 per cent this year,” Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC’s broadcasting committee, said yesterday.
Six years after France launched 24 digital TV channels in 2010, its coverage was just 94 per cent of households. But Thailand will reach 95 per cent in four years.
To ensure that all households can still access free-to-air TV channels, which are considered national broadcasting services, the “must carry” rule will continue to be applied, Natee said.
All cable and satellite TV platforms are required to carry every digital TV channel, as more than 70 per cent of households watch free TV via cable or satellite.
The broadcasting committee still believes that the penetration of terrestrial-based digital TV receivers will rise after increased sales of integrated digital TV sets as well as smart devices.
Last year saw sales of at least 4.4 million IDTVs and 1.4 million smartphones and tablets, while 8.7 million of the 13.8 million digital TV vouchers distributed so far have been used to purchase digital set-top boxes.
Digital TV’s audience share is also expected to improve as a result of the huge investment by both incumbent TV operators and new digital-TV players on content development to attract viewers and advertisers.
By next year, the NBTC estimates both advertising spending and audiences hitting half of the overall market.
“According to Nielsen, last year, 21 digital TV stations gained 26.7 per cent of total advertising spending, increasing from 11.7 per cent in 2014, while six incumbents suffered a loss of audience share to 73.3 per cent from 88.1 per cent,” Natee said.
Thailand was also quicker than France in this respect. A group of digital TV channels represented 28 per cent of total advertising expenditures in France in 2011, but in Thailand, digital TV channels already occupied more than 26 per cent in one year and eight months.
Last year, 38 per cent of households watched digital TV programmes, up from 18 per cent in 2014, while the old TV channels including Channels 3 and 7, MCOT’s Modernine TV, the Army’s TV5, and NBT accounted for 62 per cent, compared with 82 per cent in 2014.
To survive the fierce competition in the Bt80-billion TV industry, digital-TV players should focus on the quality of contents to suit their targeted viewership, Natee said.
“Segmentation marketing is also a crucial strategy for those players that are able to compete with big players targeting the mass audience.
“Clear brand positioning is important to help consumers recognise channels and hot TV programmes more easily,” he said.
