The number of households in the United Kingdom subscribing to pay-TV digital satellite increased by 123,000 to a total of 7.5 million at the end of September, U.K. communications regulator Ofcom announced. Free-to-view satellite households grew by 100,000 to 545,000, while digital cable households ended the quarter at 2.6 million.

Overall, digital television now reaches 16.5 million households, or 66 percent of the market, across the United Kingdom, Ofcom said.

Satellite channels also performed strongly in terms of advertising. By the end of the second quarter of 2005, satellite channels exceeded Channel 4 revenues from advertising. Satellite net advertising revenues for the third quarter were 177 million British pounds ($308.7 million), second only to ITV at 373 million pounds ($650.6 million).