IPTV services now in more than 80 million homes

Global IPTV household penetration grew by 15 million homes in the first half of the year, reaching more than 80 million, according to latest IHS stats. 

The research firm’s IPTV Market Monitor report predicts that IPTV revenues will approach €18bn in 2013, up by more than 20% year-on-year.

The bi-annual study claims that Asia-Pacific now accounts for nearly half of global IPTV households, with China Telecom alone accounting for one in three net additions in the first half of 2013.

IHS also said that  next-generation IPTV has experienced fast growth in the Middle East, with 125m IPTV homes added the first half of 2013 in this satellite TV-heavy region.

However, it added that growth of IPTV households in Western Europe has stagnated and was the lowest of any region in H1 2013, with this region’s share of global IPTV households declining between Q4 2012 and Q2 2013.

IHS said it expects the Latin American market to see a 246% year-on-year increase in net additions in 2013 – driven by a better performing Brazilian IPTV market in the second half of the year.

The US – the third largest IPTV market in terms of subscribers – is forecast to account for 48% of global IPTV revenues in 2013.

Separately, IHS reported on Friday that the global installed base of conditional access clients in set-top boxes is expected to exceed 1 billion units for the first time in 2014 – more than doubling from the 2009 figure of 479 million units to 1.1 billion units next year.

Growth will be driven by expanding demand in the emerging regions of Latin America, India and China, said IHS.