More than half (52%) of 18-34 year olds in the UK now expect access to a digital TV service as standard in their homes, seeing it as an everyday necessity, according to a nationwide survey launched today. Our younger generations now see access to digital TV as more like a common utility, with only a quarter (26%) of those surveyed still considering digital TV services a luxury in their home.

The survey of 2,000 people commissioned by Sky found that only 4% of young people would now settle for just terrestrial TV in their new home, whereas a huge 78% of people surveyed want access to a digital TV service.

Lucy Quinlan (27) and Daniel King (30) live in a block of flats in Beckenham and say that having digital TV was their number one priority when they moved in together. “Having digital TV has been very important to us. We have grown up with Sky being available at home so it was a must when we moved away. We would really miss having the freedom and choice we get with it, because we are in control to watch whatever and whenever we want to.’

Brendan Hegarty, Head of Sky Communal TV , comments: “There are more than 14 million* 18-34 years olds in the UK and based on our research results, that means there are over 7 million young people out there expecting a digital TV service as standard in their first flat.”

Expectations do not stop at choice and quality of their digital TV, with this generation also demanding high levels of customer service. For 18-34 year olds, time is money and a significant 39% of respondents would expect their digital TV service to be in and running within 48 hours. The vast majority of young people (81%) would expect to have their digital TV service installed within 7 days.

Unsurprisingly, this time-poor generation are also less likely to want to take time off for installing TV/broadband, which was number three on the list of biggest hassles when moving into a new home at a quarter of respondents (26%). It followed broadband installation (33%) and changing gas or electricity suppliers (30%), as the number one and two hassles for first-time buyers and renters setting up home.

Brendan Hegarty continues: “What we have here is a generation with different expectations from their parents and grandparents, fuelled by our rapidly evolving media landscape and consumption. Young people now expect a broader and more compelling choice of TV programming at their fingertips in their home and rightly so. It is our job, working together with landlords and property developers across the UK, to make sure that future generations of home owners and tenants receive the services they demand.”

For more information and other findings from the survey, you can read more at http://communaltv.sky.com/media/38227/generation_research.pdf

*ONS 2011 Census

ENDS

For more information, interviews or images contact Lisa Boustead at Fresh PR & Communication on 07720711102 or email lisa.boustead@freshcommunication.co.uk