Market Trends

Networking Technology Used by over 50% of all Global Broadband Homes

London, UK, January 30, 2012--The abundance of innovative connected devices is fuelling a rise in the consumption of digital content and home networking. In turn, this is driving demand for faster broadband speeds and advances in networking technology to improve consumer experiences and create new revenue stream opportunities. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that over 50% of all broadband homes utilize some form of networking technology on a day-to-day basis. According to research from Futuresource Consulting.

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100 Million Hybrid STBs to Ship in 2015

Scottsdale, Ariz., January 24, 2012-- Hybrid set top boxes are a fast-growing segment of the worldwide set top box market. These boxes include a TV tuner and an Internet connection. It’s similar to hybrid vehicles that combine a gasoline engine with an electric motor. Hybrid STBs are appearing in all service categories and new usage models and applications have provided momentum. As television services begin employing applications that are Internet-connected, we see hybrid set top boxes emerging as a key growth driver for the global set top box industry. New In-Stat research forecasts that 100 million hybrid STBs will ship in 2015.

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Telco Pay-TV Subscribers Approaching 100 million

Washington, D.C., January 23, 2012--New data from TeleGeography show that at the end of Q3 2011 telcos worldwide had a total of 94 million pay-TV subscribers, giving them a 12% share of the global pay-TV market. Given current growth rates the subscriber total will be passing the 100-million milestone as this article is being written. Leading the telco charge is America Movil with ten million pay-TV subscribers, thanks to a dominant market position in Brazil and Colombia and substantial pay-TV operations in several other Latin American countries. It is followed by China Telecom and Rostelecom, both of which focus solely on their home markets, and France Telecom-Orange which has pay-TV operations in Poland, Spain and Slovakia in addition to being one of the leaders in the French market.

Connected TV to Dominate Global TV Shipments by 2015

January 20, 2012, Bedfordshire, UK--With forecasts exceeding 80% of units shipped by 2015, connected TVs are expected to lead the way in global TV shipments escalating from 27% in 2011, according to new research from Futuresource Consulting. On a regional level, Japan leads the way in the adoption of connected TVs, with 59% of shipments in 2011 integrating IP connectivity as standard. Penetration in the USA and China hit 29%, however Europe is behind the curve with 24% of TV sales being connected.

CEA Study Finds Home Media Landscape Shifting to Digital Content

Arlington,VA, January 17, 2012--The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ® released a new study which found that more than half (53 percent) of online U.S. adults watch some form of streaming or downloaded video content in the home. Those consumers have a distinct preference for streaming video versus downloading content, as 51 percent view streaming content and spend an average of two hours per week watching, while only 15 percent download content and spend an average of one hour watching.

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Broadband Continues to Grow in 2011

London, UK, January 13, 2012--Latest broadband and IPTV figures published by the Broadband Forum show a significant surge in growth in Q3-2011, with more new subscribers added in the quarter than at any time since early 2009. The figures also point to the growing importance of fiber as FTTH and hybrid FTTx deployments increase.

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Consumers Intend to Buy Fewer Televisions as They Migrate to Other Consumer Electronics Devices

New York City, Jan. 9, 2012 – Consumers intend to buy fewer televisions this year and fewer are regularly watching content on them, a new Accenture (NYSE: ACN) survey has found. Consumers are rapidly turning to other consumer electronics devices such as smartphones and tablet computers to view media, while also using more online services and downloading applications for various purposes, including entertainment, according to  Accenture’s new 2012 Global Consumer Electronics Products and Services Usage Report.

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Global Broadband Subscribers Set to Rise by Nearly 60 Percent by 2015

El Segundo, Calif., January 5, 2012--Driven by rising demand for fast Internet access, particularly from China and other developing regions, the global broadband subscriber base is set to grow by nearly 60 percent in the coming years, with about 350 million new consumers projected to come online from 2011 to 2015. The number of broadband subscribers worldwide will amount to 949 million by 2015, up 58 percent from 600 million in 2011, according to an IHS iSuppli Broadband & Digitally Connected Home Market Tracker report from information and analysis provider IHS. This year, broadband subscribers will reach 676 million, up 13 percent from 2011.

Global TV Advertising to Grow by $60 Billion

Middlesex, UK, December 21, 2011--Global TV advertising grew by 3.5% in 2011 to $154 billion, despite the Eurozone crisis (which hit Spain, Greece, Ireland and many Eastern European territories the hardest), natural disasters (Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Turkey) and the Arab Spring revolts. In contrast, economic booms in Latin America and Asia Pacific led to significant growth, according to a new report from Digital TV Research.

Worldwide Pay-TV Revenue on the Rise, to Reach $236 Billion at the End of 2012

Singapore, December 20, 2011--The worldwide pay-TV market will continue to grow to generate service revenues of $236 billion by the end of next year. Cable TV operators continue to face increasing competition from IPTV and over-the-top (OTT) services. Increasing broadband penetration and the growing number of people using Internet-connected devices are supporting subscriber growth in IPTV and OTT services.