The digital terrestrial TV platform has exceeded expectations since its launch in 2002 and has sold 13m set-top boxes to date. Initial forecasts pegged Freeview's take-up at just over 3m households for 2006, but the free-to-air service is now available in 6.4m homes.
By contrast, Sky's penetration currently stands at around 8m households after almost 20 years in operation. Meanwhile, NTL and Telewest cable TV platforms have a total of 3.3m subscribers and free-to-view satellite services have just 645,000.
Freeview's popularity is also reflected in the annual cost of a channel slot, which has jumped from £1m in 2002 to £11.5m in 2006.
According to the study: "Freeview seems to have captured not just an economic niche, but a broadcasting comfort zone. Thanks to its serendipitous quantum of channels - not too few, not too many - it seems to have captured a hitherto unexpressed desire for 'television plus' in middle Britain."
The study, titled 'Freeview: The free broadcasting formula that clicked', does not provide any forecasts for future growth but said that the service would be able to adapt to any changes in the broadcast market.
"Freeview has the flexibility to play a significant role in any conceivable future model, whether relying on licence-fee support, new forms of public funding, the advertising market or subscription systems. It can be aligned to broadband interactivity and it is spawning Tivo-type hard drive, PVR and DVD recordability as well as online download. It has proved the unexpected triumph of Britain's digital changeover."
Freeview, a joint venture between the BBC, BSkyB, National Grid Wireless, ITV and Channel 4, offers over 30 television channels including movie service FilmFour, which moved from a pay-TV to a free-to-view model this summer.
Freeview channels are also available on BT's new television service BT Vision, which launched this week. The new package aims to bridge the gap between Freeview and pay-TV operators by allowing viewers to watch channels from the free-to-air platform and store up to 80 hours of programmes on a dedicated set-top box.
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