The number of streamed mobile TV users on smartphones will increase to 240 million by 2014, according to a research firm.
A new report from Juniper Research also suggested that this increase will be driven by a rise in smartphone penetration and a growth in the usage of Internet TV and IPTV services.
The report found that the substantial growth in streamed mobile TV users would arise from a combination of both increased smartphone penetration and, critically, an increasing usage of live and on-demand services both on TVs and PCs.
Juniper Research noted that these catch-up and live Internet TV services are already allowing users to become their own program schedulers – mobile allows consumers to take this content away from the home by ‘placeshifting’ it and adding a new dimension to the TV experience.
The research firm further suggested that another driver for this growth is the need for consumers to be able to access time-critical content such as sports and news as they occur. These types of content are constantly changing and mobile TV allows consumers to become aware of events as they happen – particularly important for sports fans who typically wish to watch games live.
The report further said by 2016, nearly 10 % of mobile TV revenues will be generated on tablet devices and usage of broadcast mobile TV will be minimal outside of the Far East and China.