Mobile TV & video viewers to exceed 2 billion by 2017

HAMPSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM — A new report from Juniper Research has found that by 2017, 2 billion mobile and tablet users will watch TV and video on their devices. This is attributed to the growing popularity of short and easily shared video clips, and the increased global uptake of connected devices with faster processors and better displays.

Users ‘Cut the Cord’

The report examines how mobile is increasingly being used as the primary screen for consuming TV and video content among younger demographics, and the seamless integration of streaming services with social networks. Sharing content via handsets or tablets has become an intuitive experience for many.

Furthermore, the success that many streaming providers such as Netflix, have achieved online has led them to offer truly multi-screen experiences via smartphones and tablets. This move has begun to affect the Pay-TV business, with the threat of consumers ‘cutting the cord’ and ending their pay-TV services in favour of internet streaming services.

YouTube Trials Paid-for Channels

Report author Siân Rowlands pointed out that “we are now seeing companies such as YouTube trialling paid channels to get a slice of the marketplace. This will have incredible repercussions throughout the mobile space given YouTube comes preinstalled on an immense number of devices and Android’s billing options.”

However, it remains to be seen whether YouTube will be successful with this new monetisation model. In 2011, similar paid channels were launched, but with very limited success. Furthermore, YouTube has seen limited success with its movie rental service given the foothold which Apple and the iTunes ecosystem has on renting movies to smartphones and tablets.

Other Key Findings from the Report Include:

• Western Europe will account for the most users in 2017, viewers in this region will represent over a fifth of the global user-base.
• The Social TV market is also expected to grow significantly to 2017, as the market matures and key players develop their business models.

The “Mobile TV & Video ~ Cutting the Cord” whitepaper is available to download from the Juniper website together with further details of the full report.