More than half of the TVs sold in the UK are 'smart'

"After five years of continuous decline, research from Mintel reveals that the TV market has recorded growth in value for the first time since 2009. Boosted by the impact of the FIFA World Cup, Mintel expects that the UK televisions market will return to growth by the end of 2014, with sales of televisions forecast to increase by 1 per cent in volume and 3 per cent in value, up from £2.8 billion in 2013 to an estimated £2.9 billion in 2014. Although the market performed well during 2014, sales are forecast to decline again in 2015.
Paul Davies, Senior Leisure and Technology Analyst at Mintel, said: “While anticipation and excitement surrounding the tournament prompted a frenzy of upgrades, particularly from men aged between 16 and 34, many of these purchases were brought forward by just a few months. Although sales of TVs are rising, 2014 is only likely to represent a temporary spurt of growth, as demand for new televisions is expected to drop further over the next five years, the continuation of a longstanding decline.”
Furthermore, 2014 is expected to be the first full year in which smart TVs will account for more than half of televisions sold in the UK market (57 per cent, up from 39 per cent in 2013), equating to nearly 5 million sets – up from 3.4 million the year before. Today, as many as a quarter (24 per cent) of all UK homes have a smart TV."

Source:  Data from Mintel, reported by Advanced Television, 17th December 2014