Digital TV Approaches 100 Million Homes

Almost one hundred million homes, equivalent to 10% of global TV households, will have access to digital television by the end of this year, according to a new report from Informa Media. The information provider says that by the close of 2003, the number of DTV households will have effectively tripled in the space of four years. However, major expansion is still to come and it is estimated that practically four hundred million homes will be digital by 2010. This amounts to 38% of all TV households. North America currently accounts for around a half of the world’s digital TV homes. However, unprecedented growth in other parts of the world will ensure that this proportion falls to 30% by the end of the decade. Asia is set to take over as the dominant continent and will have 40% of the total in 2010, compared to 12% this year.

Digital satellite (DTH) is currently the most popular means of accessing digital TV but cable’s stock is rising (see Forecasts). Informa estimates that there will be 216 million digital cable homes in 2010, equivalent to 21% of the available market. However, given that 62% of TV homes worldwide will still be relying on analogue technology, there is significant potential for growth beyond this decade. This is not the case in North America which is forecast to have 92% digital penetration by the end of 2010.

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