Freeview Takes Aim at Pay TV

LONDON: The British DTT provider Freeview is launching a new marketing campaign targeting its pay-TV rivals, asking viewers if they are paying too much to watch their favorite programs.

The campaign, created by the Leo Burnett agency, claims that 95 percent of the top 1,000 programs that aired on British television between January and June last year were available of Freeview, citing figures from the industry body BARB. Accompanying research suggests that households are spending on average £199.32 a year on unwatched pay-TV channels. It claims that 75 percent of viewing hours are actually spent watching free-to-air channels.

Guy North, the marketing communications director at Freeview, said: “As household budgets are increasingly stretched, we’re highlighting the alternative to pay TV. Our latest campaign encourages consumers to question whether an expensive subscription package is really right for them if most of the content they watch is free-to-air.

“With the added benefit of recording programs with Freeview+ and access to four HD channels with Freeview HD, Freeview is the smart choice for consumers who still want quality content at their fingertips but without the bill each month.”