Report estimates nearly 10mn IPTV subscribers worldwide

April 21, 2008 – There were 9.9mn IPTV subscribers globally at the end of last year, more than double the previous year, according to a new report from consultancy firm Telecommunications Management Group (TMG).

The report, entitled “IPTV: The Killer Broadband Application”, forecasts that there will be nearly 60mn subscribers to IPTV services around the world by 2010, with a growth rate of over 500% expected during the next three years.

Michael Minges, Senior Market Analyst for TMG, commented: “IPTV is revolutionising the television market by introducing greater competition and providing consumers with a plethora of customisable content, viewable any time.”

The report also notes that IPTV has succeeded in countries with a relatively low pay TV penetration but high broadband penetration, such as in Europe.  By region, the report estimates that at the end of 2007, there were 5.3mn subscribers to European IPTV services, while in Asia there were 3.3mn and in the Americas there were 1.3mn.

France Telecom was found to be the largest IPTV operator worldwide with 1.1mn subscribers at the end of last year, followed BY Verizon’s FiOS service in the US.  Hong Kong telco PCCW had the most successful uptake rate as it provides its “now” IPTV service to over 50% of its broadband subscribers.