IPTV Subs to Hit 79 Million in 2014

SINGAPORE, January 14: New data from ABI Research predicts a 32-percent increase in the number of subscribers to IPTV platforms worldwide by 2014.

The report indicates that while satellite and cable TV platforms are likely to retain their footholds in many markets around the world, the growth rate in their subscriber bases will slow as IPTV services take hold.

Serene Fong, an industry analyst at ABI Research, noted: "[IPTV] usage will initially be concentrated in countries with established high-speed Internet technologies such as France, the Netherlands, South Korea and Hong Kong. But as technology progresses and matures, developing countries such as China will rapidly catch up in subscription numbers."

She added, "While we expect to see greater momentum in the telco TV segment in the years to come, this new television alternative is unlikely to completely replace legacy pay-television services immediately."

—By Mansha Daswani