Four per cent of people with a pay-TV subscription gave up their IPTV box over the past two years, according to a survey.
However, two-thirds of those with a pay-TV subscription who also have an IPTV box still use it regularly.
A total of 873 people took part in the biennial Malta Communications Authority survey, carried out between November 2019 and last April. Some 72 per cent of them did not have an IPTV-Android box, while those who did had dropped by four percentage points when compared to 2017 results.
Nearly nine out of every 10 of those with an IPTV box said the content is a good alternative to what they get through standard pay-TV, mainly because of a better channel line-up. And at least one out of 10 survey respondents with a pay-TV subscription are planning on acquiring an IPTV box soon.
Half of those who watch TV through an Android box believe that the cost of the service is reasonable, while another 18 per cent think it is cheap.
Overall, 14 per cent of the survey respondents use the internet to watch content on YouTube, Vimeo and Netflix, among others. Two-thirds of these consider it a good substitute to the pay-TV service offered by Melita and Go. Most of those who use internet TV watch TV series.
Earlier this week, several people in Malta reported a “nationwide” clampdown on IPTV software, following a major Italian police operation that shut down 5,500 illegal live-streaming sites and services.
On Tuesday, the Guardia di Finanza – Italy’s police force responsible for financial crime - seized the equivalent of €10.6 million in equipment and assets used for various countries, including Malta.
However, the disruption for thousands of Maltese seems to be temporary, as service has resumed over the past day.
Increase in bundle subscriptions
According to this latest MCA survey, 99 per cent of people have a TV set at their residence, and almost three quarters have more than one TV set.
The findings show a 10-percentage point increase in the number of households with a pay-TV subscription in a bundle, up from 67 per cent in 2017. A further three per cent said they intend on purchasing a bundle–based subscription in the coming months.
The level of satisfaction with the overall service quality has doubled over two years: the share of respondents saying they are highly satisfied with the service rose from 23 per cent in 2017 to 56 per cent in the 2020 survey.
Only four per cent of respondents switched between pay-TV service providers in the last two years.
While only 18 per cent have a DAB+ radio set, half said they do not own such a device. Most of those who own a DAB+ radio (97 per cent) are satisfied with its quality of service.
Most of them – 45 per cent – installed it at home, while another 30 per cent have it in their car.