ABI Research Publishes Report on Global Pay-TV, Cable, IPTV Market

ABI Research, a leading provider of in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies, recently published the results of the latest study, “Pay-TV Subscriptions: Cable, IPTV (News - Alert), Satellite, Digital Terrestrial”, as part of its ongoing study on TV and Video Research Service.

According to the ABI Research Pay-TV market data reports, the net subscriber addition in the global Pay-TV market has seen an increase of two percent in the third quarter of 2010 over that in the second quarter 2010. The report also highlights the increase in seven world regions countries including Western European market including France, Spain and Italy, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.

The ABI Pay-TV market database includes key subscribers in the video platforms, which is satellite, cable, and telco TV, the global subscriber market share, as well as the Pay-TV subscriptions by the service providers or operators. The entry of new television platforms such as digital terrestrial TV and online video, are not encouraging the subscribers to invest in Pay-TV market, hence the slow subscriber growth especially in areas like Western Europe and North America, which are high penetration areas, meanwhile traditional cable TV and Pay-TV are expected to remain strong in Eastern Europe and Latin American areas.

One such example of the success of Pay digital terrestrial television in Western Europe can be seen in the significant growth achieved by Mediaset, an Italy-based leader in the pay terrestrial TV market. Mediaset has increased its subscriber base by adding nearly 300,000 to the list in the 2Q of 2010, making a total of 4.4 million subscribers. In the global market more that 2.7 million IPTV subscribers had been added in the 3Q 2010. Western European market are in the lead as the largest IPTV markets, followed by Asia-Pacific region and North America. ABI forecasts that the IPTV worldwide subscriber base will exceed over 53 million by the end of 2011. The ABI TV and Video Research service includes, global and next generation set top box markets, 3S TVs, Digital radio, Internet-connected TVs, Pay TV market overview, Video on Demand and Ad Server Market Analysis, global IPTV markets, Cable operators’ service, and much more.

In a press release, the Practice Director at ABI Research (News - Alert), Jason Blackwell, said, “The global number of Pay-TV subscribers reached 692 million in the third quarter of 2010. Pay-TV subscriber growth is holding steady in a number of world regions.”

The Research Associate at ABI Research, Khin Sandi Lynn, added, “At this moment Western Europe, with a comprehensive 99 percent of the terrestrial Pay-TV market, holds the largest terrestrial television market share.”

Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jaclyn Allard. Source: By Calvin Azuri, TMCnet Contributor, cable.tmcnet.com

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New Media in Movies

With the emergence of the Internet, IPTV, etc., digital media has changed the very face of entertainment.

Technology has always propelled media on to the next level. Video cassettes shifted movies from theatre halls into living rooms. Cable and Satellite further enhanced the experience. And the emergence of new Digital Media such as Internet, Mobile and IPTV are playing a crucial role in changing the very definition of entertainment.

• Anytime – Anywhere – Any Content
The consumer is truly empowered with choice. With more bandwidth slated to become available in the future (through 3G and Broadband Wireless Access), richer content will be available to consumers. Easy Search and Discovery features will further enhance the consumer’s experience in the near future. This will help monetization of library content.

• Beyond traditional formats
Entertainment formats are becoming shorter, improvised and very different than we traditionally knew. So, a Caller-Ring-Back-Tone has a 20-30 second clipping from the song; a Youtube video may have an extract of a comic or action sequence and so on. The formats have changed and will further evolve based on consumer preference. Media and Entertainment Companies will have to constantly innovate in order to remain connected and relevant to the consumer.

• Interaction
Till a few years back, the only interaction media between movies, stars and their fans was through fan mails and letters. The new world of social networking has created several platforms for movies to connect with audiences. Be it Twitter, Facebook or the plethora of social networking options, the entertainment industry can reach out and get engaged with consumers on a personal level.

• Promotion
New media platforms capture a lot of information about consumers including age, location, etc. and also usage patterns. It can help reach the target consumer better, cheaper and with the right messaging. E.g. Males can be given a different message from females, which is not possible in traditional media. This improves effectiveness of the promotion.

• Piracy
Can completely derail the growth of the business of cinema. The good news is that any activity done online leaves a digital footprint. In order to fight digital piracy, the industry needs to come together on a common platform and work in conjunction with government, service providers, enforcement agencies, etc.

New media is set to shake our very perception of movies and entertainment. As it does so, newer business models with fresh players are fast emerging.

Source: Hiren Gada, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. businessreviewindia dot in

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