Digital satellite platform Freesat says it gained 145,000 new homes in the last twelve months, taking its total base to 1.8m homes.
Jointly owned by BBC and ITV, the platform competes for viewers against Freeview and YouView as well as Pay-TV operators Sky and Virgin Media.
Set up six years ago, the platform provides access to over 150 free TV and radio channels, including six HD channels.
Last year it launched its new < free time > service to compete against rival YouView which is also backed by the BBC and ITV.
Like YouView, < free time > offers catch-up content via a backwards EPG. However it has yet to add content from Channel 5 and its spin-off channels and yet to offer a remote record app.
The platform says both of these will be available soon.
Commenting on its latest user figures, Emma Scott, Freesat’s Managing Director commented: “Our continued strong results show thousands of people making the smart choice of Freesat as the alternative to expensive TV contracts.
“As take up across the UK has increased, so has our offer. We now provide more than 150 HD and standard definition TV, radio and interactive channels, offering live pause, record, a market leading catch up service through our Backwards TV Guide, plus BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and 4oD.
“We continue to add new channels and on demand services and invest in cutting edge technology. We will soon deliver more features to our next generation
