Streaming media is set to show double-digit growth for both audio and video content through to 2005, according to new forecasts from AccuStream iMedia Research.
Streaming media describes audio and video content which is transmitted via the internet in a ‘streaming’ or continuous fashion.
The report says that video streams are on course to top almost 6 billion accesses in 2003, while tuning hours for internet radio should reach about 140 million per month across all aggregator and network sites by year-end. On the video side, music, news and film are forecast to grow at the highest percentage rates between now and 2005.
Accustream notes that whilst paid streams are now catching up to free or advertising-supported streams across all content categories, a recovering ad market could tip that two-year trend back toward more sponsored, ad-supported or distributor-subsidised content.
The report says that the major media brands will be quick to exploit their video content online. These include studios, cable TV networks and broadcasters, as well as the online-only companies such as Yahoo, Real Networks and AOL Broadband.
