Global Pay-TV Subscribers to Grow 7% as Novel Set-Top Box Solutions Enter the Market

More than 719 million pay-TV subscribers are expected to sign up in 2010 as the economic recovery continues to gain momentum, according to latest forecasts from ABI Research. Digital Home industry analyst Michael Inouye notes, �ABI Research estimates that worldwide pay-TV subscriber numbers will surpass 719 million by the end of 2010 as novel solutions such as Google TV move from trial to commercial launch.�

Super-fast Internet has allowed advanced services and significant innovations in recent years. Also recently, Google announced the development a new television delivery platform. �Google TV� will offer a television viewing experience enhanced by the web. The main feature of Google TV: it allows users to have a complete Internet experience along with their favorite TV content on their living room televisions.

Dish Network, USA, has already started a Google TV trial. Users need a Google TV set-top box, which can pull the content from any cable or satellite provider. The Google TV set-top box is based on the Android platform and it uses Intel�s Atom CE4100 processor. The estimated cost is over US$200.

�Google TV will be very much a competitor to Apple TV which offers a similar service. Apple TV, however, can only access content that is available from the iTunes Store,� comments research associate Khin Sandi Lynn. �Google TV will be hoping to fare better. Its additional versatility should be more attractive to regular television viewers.�

In 2009 the Asia Pacific region with its 363 million pay-TV subscribers took the lion�s share of the global pay-TV market. Cable TV is the major pay-TV platform. However, inroads are being made by telco TV providers. Asia-Pacific telco TV growth is expected to gain pace. ABI Research estimates that APAC will attain a 31% share of the global telco TV market in 2010.

ABI Research�s new Market Data product, �Pay-TV Subscriptions: Cable, IPTV, Satellite, Digital Terrestrial� is updated quarterly and profiles global pay-TV subscription information. Detailed market trends and market forecast information for key regions and countries around the world are provided where available.