Forecasts for IPTV subscribers worldwide vary widely. After all, this is still a new service. By 2010 there could be as many as 70 million IPTV subscribers worldwide, or as few as 26 million, according to the estimates presented below.
"IPTV market conditions vary widely depending on the country or geography in question," said Collin Dixon of The Diffusion Group.
iSuppli's current 2010 estimate is up more than 12 million from the forecast it made less than a year ago. What changed?
Frank Dickson of iSuppli said that IPTV is a critical part of triple-play offerings, which are growing in popularity. "Because of the wide variety of services offered by the technology, companies from various industries are being drawn into the IPTV/triple-play fight, sparking intensified competition among market participants."
In North America, cable television companies are pitted against telcos. Differentiation is key in this fight, making IPTV an attractive new offering and potential tactical advantage.
Time-shifting, interactivity and user-generated content are also contributing to the interest in triple play — and therefore IPTV. With IPTV, users could participate in American Idol-style interactive voting without a phone. Anything to get more viewers watching in real time (and not fast-forwarding through ads on DVRs) is a plus for advertisers, and IPTV fits that bill.
