Foxtel, the Australian direct-to-home (DTH) operator, now has 500,000 homes connected to its Foxtel Digital service. More than 51 percent of its managed subscriber based is now connected to the digital service. This is an impressive takeup, given the digital service was launched only eight months ago. According to company execs, the figures are ahead of Foxtel’s own internal digital-conversion targets.

CEO Kim Williams commented, “Foxtel Digital has caught on strongly with consumers with its enormous programming choices and unique digital features.”

To keep things rolling, Foxtel is extending until mid-December its pre-Christmas sales drive that offers free installation of Foxtel Digital to new and upgrading subscribers. More than 80,000 sales have been closed from the campaign so far. The operator continues to install approximately 15,000 new and upgraded digital subscribers a week.