Digital, Interactive and Web TV, Players
Service (Delivery) Providers

Retailers

[Comet, Dixons and Currys] [Granada and Radio Rentals]

Comet, Dixons and Currys

These 3 companies are some the UK's major retailers of television sets and subscription services.

Granada and Radio Rentals

Between them these companies control virtually the whole of the UK rental market, In December 1999 they announced a planned merger with the new group being called Box Clever. The deal had to be refered to the Competition Commission but in April 2000 it approved the merger despite concerns that it would lead to store closures, social exclusion of lower-income groups and a near 100% monopoly of the UK rental market for televisions and video recorders. The approval is subject to certain constraints on rental charges and upgrades. The combined group will have 900 stores and almost 2m customers.

Shortly after the merger, Granada announced that it will invest £13.5m and take a 3.5% stake in the European arm of Powerchannel, a privately owned internet provider. Using Granada's rental shops it will provide subscribers with a free internet set-top box and unlimited free internet access so they can surf the net using their televisions, all for the cost of a local telephone call. Subscribers pay a £20 deposit and must complete a monthly consumer survey. The target audience is 200,000 in the first 6 months.