IPTV subscriptions to rise 92% by 2015
IPTV operators will gain a 19% share of all pay-TV subscriptions by 2015, according to new research by Analysys Mason.
The European pay-TV report forecasts that the number of IPTV subscriptions will increase by 92%, up from 15.4 million in 2009 to 29.6 million in 2015, making it the fastest-growing TV platform.
IPTV and pay-DTT operators are set to increase their share of the market, while rival cable and satellite platforms are likely to come under pressure from the new services, which have been offering competitive prices in a bid to gain market share.
Subscriptions to satellite services are still expected to grow, mainly due to the recent launches in Central and Eastern Europe, however, Analysys Mason predicts their share of pay-TV subscriptions will drop by 1 percentage point to 29% in 2015.
The report also expects cable’s share of subscriptions to decline, down from 51% to 41%, as analogue subscribers sign-up to rival digital platforms, including FTA DTT services.
However, cable is likely to retain the largest number of subscriptions overall.
In addition, the report predicts strong growth from pay-DTT services, even though free-to-air services currently dominate the digital terrestrial television market.
Pay-DTT subscriptions are forecast to increase by 84% to 17.2 million, boosting the platform’s share of pay-TV subscriptions from 7% in 2009 to 11% by 2015.
In terms of the overall market, Analysys Mason anticipates a surge in pay-TV take-up in Europe, with the exception of Russia and the CIS markets. The number of pay-TV households is forecast to rise from 125.5 million at the end of 2009 to 145 million by the end of 2015.