ABI: Mobile TV Subs to Reach 462M by 2012
February 1, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
In looking at the growth of mobile TV services over the next five years, analysis from ABI Research forecasts the total number of subscribers will grow to 462 million, driven in large part by the expansion of third generation (3G) networks and flat-rate plans for mobile video.
Analysts said the build-out of mobile video delivery networks and an increase in the amount of available content will also contribute to the market’s growth.
"Mobile operators' sustained investment in video delivery will continue to be rewarded by subscribers' growing adoption rates, particularly as they upgrade to new video-capable handsets," said ABI Research director Mike Wolf.
"Consumers are being increasingly enticed by better experiences through more powerful and larger screens, as well as by a widening array of subscription options."
The Asia-Pacific region will be the overall leader in the adoption of mobile video services, analysts said. The number of subscribers to mobile video services in Asia-Pacific will grow from 24 million in 2007 to more than 260 million by 2012.
High levels of penetration will occur in both Japan and South Korea, too, analysts said, each a leading market in mobile video services.
China and India will both contribute significantly to the overall total due to large subscriber populations, even though the overall penetration of video services will remain much lower than in more technologically advanced countries.
"South Korea and Japan will continue to lead worldwide, while some countries in Western Europe will also continue to see strong growth," said Wolf. "North America will also see some strong uptake as more services become available in 2008 with the launch of AT&T's MediaFLO service, the continued expansion of Verizon Wireless' MediaFLO subscriber base and the growth of on-demand mobile video services."
Source: ABI Research.