Mexico. According to the latest report by Cofetel, the restricted television market has been energized by competition between operators, who offer their customers a wide variety of tariff plans, to which more lower-income users have access.
Between April and June, subscriptions to this service increased by 16.9% compared to those registered in the same period of 2012. The satellite television or DTH segment showed the highest growth in the second quarter of 2013, with a rate of 17.8%, compared to the same period in 2012. This service closed the reported period with 7.3 million subscribers and was consolidated as the main technology of access of the Mexican market to pay television.
Cable television had an increase of 13.6%, a figure that was not observed since the second quarter of 2007, to conclude the second quarter of 2013 with 6.9 million subscriptions. In this way, cable TV users account for 48% of total restricted TV users.
The number of subscriptions for microwave television service (MMDS) reiterates its negative trend, falling by 13.7%, at an annual rate, from April to June, compared to the same period in 2012. This service concluded the second quarter of the year with just over 153 thousand subscriptions, data that confirms the migration of customers to cable and satellite television, which have offers with greater content.
This is consistent with the results presented by the restricted television companies listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. Megacable reports an increase in unique subscribers of 8% compared to the second quarter of 2012, while Cablevisión observed an increase of 12.5 percent in the same period.
Cable TV companies have supported the positive growth trend in double- and triple-play offerings. As an example, the Internet and Telephony Revenue Generating Units represent 53% of the total for Cablevisión, and 40% for Megacable.
Sky, which provides its services using satellite technology, reported a 24% increase in its subscriber base compared to the second quarter of 2012.
