Global IPTV subscribers to triple

Global IPTV subscribers will triple between now and the end of 2017, driven in particular by growth in China, according to a new report.

IPTV numbers will rise to 165 million by the end of 2017, up from 51 million at the end of 2011, according to Digital TV Research’s Global IPTV Forecasts.

China will account for 47% of the 2017 total, up from 28% at the end of 2011, according to the report. Overall, the Asia Pacific region will account for 86 million of the 114 million new IPTV subscribers predicted to be added between 2011 and 2017.

Global IPTV penetration is expected to grow from 3.7% last year to 10.8% by the end of 2017. IPTV revenues are expected to amount to US$21.3 billion (€17.3 billion) by that date, up from US$9.7 billion in 2011.

The report predicts that China will be the global IPTV leader in 2017, with 77.2 million households, followed by the US with 14.4 million and India with 7.3 million. The European leaders will be Russia with 6.5 million and France with 6.4 million subscribers. Singapore will have the highest IPTV penetration, at 43%, followed by the UAE, Hong Kong and Slovenia.