We have the technology, but will consumers subscribe to the services? -- "Tiny TVs have been around for decades without having much impact. That's about to change, according to a new study from ABI Research. New technologies mean that in the next few years, mobile phone users will be able to watch high quality, full-motion video on their small screens. Subscribers will also be able to access linked content, and buy program-related products and services from their wireless service providers. Ken Hyers, the firm's principal analyst of global wireless operator research, says that the new services will be based on a one-to-many model like conventional broadcast TV, rather than using the restricted bandwidth of mobile data networks. Next month these digital video broadcast networks will launch in Japan and South Korea, with similar services to debut in the US, Europe and elsewhere in late 2006 or early 2007. The content will largely mimic that of the short clips now available from some mobile services: news headlines, sports, children's programs, drama Mobisodes and music videos."
The global streaming industry has spent the better part of a decade chasing subscriber counts as the primary metric of success. That era is now formally over. New market data from Omdia confirms that the industry has crossed a decisive threshold; one that shifts the competitive playing field from growth-at-all-costs to monetization discipline. For senior executives navigating media, advertising, and technology strategy, the implications extend well beyond entertainment. A Historic Revenue Crossover Online video revenue increased 13.5 percent to $176 billion in 2025, while pay-TV revenue declined 4 percent to $170 billion; marking the first time in the industry's history that streaming has surpassed legacy pay-TV in revenue terms. This is not a rounding error or a statistical artifact; it represents the culmination of more than a decade of structural disruption to the traditional broadcast and cable TV model. Global subscriptions to online video services reached 2.24 billion by the ...