‘TV devices’ to reach 7 billion by 2017

The global installed base of ‘TV-addressable screens’ is in the midst of a second wave of rapid expansion, driven by mobile devices, according to new research by StrategyAnalytics.

The research firm said that tablets and smartphones, combined with traditional TV sets, increased the total number of TV addressable devices to 5.1 billion at the end of 2013. This is tipped to rise by another two billion TV devices – reaching more than 7 billion – by 2017.

“TV’s impending death has been overstated by some commentators. The reality is that, while the television industry is changing and will look different in the future, it is very much alive. TV screens are multiplying rapidly through widespread adoption of mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, and consumers consider these screens as alternatives or supplements to traditional big TV screens,” said David Watkins, director of connected home devices at StrategyAnalytics.