Report: 1 Billion Digital TV Homes by End of 2014

June 25, 2014 World Screen
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LONDON: A new report from Digital TV Research estimates that there will be more than 1 billion digital TV households worldwide by the end of the year, with digital cable TV subs to reach 374 million.

According to the Digital TV World Households Databook, measured across 138 countries, digital cable TV has become the most popular platform, overtaking analogue cable in 2013 and analogue terrestrial in 2014. The number of homes paying for IPTV is forecast to more than triple between 2010 and 2014.

By the end of 2014, global digital TV penetration is expected to reach two-thirds of all TV households, ranging from 97.1 percent in North America down to 51.5 percent in Latin America. While 13 countries will have 100-percent penetration by year's end, 45 countries will still have less than 50-percent penetration, the lowest being El Salvador (1 percent).

The Asia Pacific is expected to lead the digital TV market. Of the 461 million digital TV households to be added between 2010 and 2014, nearly two-thirds of the total additions (292 million) will be in that region, bringing its total to 517 million. China became the largest digital TV household nation in 2010, and holds on to that top spot with 289 million digital TV homes projected by end-2014. The U.S. stays in second place (114 million), with India in third (96 million). Brazil is expected to nearly quadruple its total reach to 36 million by the end of the year, ranking fifth, behind Japan (42 million).

The number of pay-TV households—analogue and digital—is forecast to reach 886 million by end-2014, up from 715 million in 2010. China will add 63 million pay-TV subs between 2010 and 2014, with India bringing in an additional 31 million and Brazil 10 million. Pay-TV subscriptions will more than quadruple in 13 countries between 2010 and 2014, though the number of pay-TV subs will fall in six countries.

Global pay-TV penetration will increase from 49.1 percent in 2010 to 57.1 percent in 2014. By year's end, penetration will be as low as 19 percent in the Middle East and North Africa but as high as 85 percent in North America. Pay-TV penetration will exceed 70 percent of TV households in 32 countries by end-2014, but 55 countries will be below 30 percent of TV households. Pay-TV penetration will fall in 11 countries, including the U.S., between 2010 and 2014.