For more information, contact:

Kirsten Fischer, Senior Marketing Manager
Phone: 480-609-4534; Email: kirsten.fischer@reedbusiness.com

Digital Satellite TV Platforms Continue to Gain Subscribers, and Profits are on the Rise

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., December 7, 2004 - Digital satellite pay TV platforms continue to grow in many areas of the world, and are expected to enjoy higher profitability over the next several years, according to In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com). However, growth in some mature regional markets is slowing or stagnating, the high tech research firm says.

“We expect 40 million worldwide DTH pay-TV subscribers to be added through 2008 as compared to the 61 million digital DTH pay-TV subscribers that were active at the end of 2003,” says In-Stat/MDR analyst Michelle Abraham. “In addition to an increasing subscriber base, the industry’s profits are on the rise due to reductions in equipment costs, increases in package pricing and new revenues from new services and features.”

A recent In-Stat/MDR report also found:

• Worldwide subscription revenues are projected to grow to $70 billion in 2008.
  
• In Europe, Italy has been a growing market in 2004, but subscriber growth in most other countries has been slow.  
  
• One of the fastest growing countries will be Japan due to the conversion of a large number of analog satellite subscribers to the digital broadcast satellite service. India is also expected to experience fast growth as the country’s first satellite pay-TV service was launched in 2003 and a second one is expected in 2005.

Recent In-Stat research, Worldwide Digital Satellite Pay-TV Platforms: A Mixed Bag in 2004 (#IN0401236MB), includes five-year forecasts for digital DTH pay-TV subscribers, revenues, and annual ARPU by region.

For more information, contact:

Michelle Abraham, Senior Analyst
Phone: 480-483-4445
Email: mabraham@reedbusiness.com

Kirsten Fischer, Senior Marketing Manager
Phone: 480-609-4534
Email: kirsten.fischer@reedbusiness.com

About In-Stat

In-Stat’s market intelligence combines technical, market and end-user research and database models to analyze the Mobile Internet and Digital Entertainment ecosystems. Our insights are derived from a deep understanding of technology impacts, nearly 30 years of history in research and consulting, and direct relationships with leading players in each of our core markets. In-Stat provides its research through reports, annual subscriptions, consulting and advisory services to inform critical decisions. Technology and semiconductor vendors, infrastructure and device manufacturers, service providers and media companies worldwide rely on partnerships with In-Stat’s tenured, experienced staff and on our in-depth market intelligence to support critical business, product and technology decisions.

In-Stat is a strategic segment of the $9 billion Reed Elsevier global information network, with access to an expansive worldwide electronic network, extensive technology databases and well-informed personnel. As a member of Reed Business Information, In-Stat is a division of the largest business-to-business publisher in the U.S.