Sky Digital services are proving popular

The company, which had originally hoped to attract seven million subscribers by the end of this year, said its subscriber base had reached 7,015,000 on Tuesday this week.

Outgoing BSkyB chief executive Tony Ball said reaching the milestone early was a "fantastic achievement."

"When we set the seven million target over three years ago it was way ahead of market expectations," he said.

"I congratulate the excellent team that has made it possible."

The company is now aiming to increase its total subscriber base to eight million by the end of 2005. It also wants to boost average revenue per user to �400, up from �366 in June this year.

Happy birthday

BSkyB's latest subscriber numbers come as the firm celebrates the fifth anniversary of the launch of its digital TV service.

The firm began to attract a mass audience four years ago through a high-risk strategy of giving away the set-top boxes and minidishes needed to decode digital television signals.

Since then, the company's subcriber base has grown strongly year-on-year, helped in part by its exclusive deal to screen football matches between the elite English Premier League clubs.

The latest figures underline the firm's achievements under chief executive Tony Ball, who is stepping down after more than four years in the top job.

James Murdoch - head of Asian satellite broadcaster Star TV, and son of BSkyB chairman Rupert Murdoch - is tipped as a strong contender for Mr Ball's job.

Potential successors to Mr Ball will be nominated to the BSkyB board by a committee led by BSkyB's senior non-executive director, Lord St John of Fawsley.