Infonetics Research just released excerpts from its "2012 IPTV Service Deployment Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey" report. Their latest worldwide market study is focused on video entertainment service providers that are currently providing IPTV services.
These incumbent video entertainment companies were interviewed by Infonetics to assess their needs and to analyze trends in the IPTV marketplace.
"Because it's so challenging to differentiate on content, pay-TV providers are looking to stand out from their competitors by offering additional services and features -- such as multi-screen viewing, social networking -- and content discovery and recommendation services," says Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband access and video at Infonetics Research.
In particular, multi-screen video -- also known as "TV Everywhere" capabilities -- is starting to gain some momentum across all pay-TV operator types (cable, satellite, and IPTV) in all regions of the world.
In fact, 83 percent of the pay-TV operators that they interviewed plan to offer some type of multi-screen viewing -- via PC, smartphone, or media tablet -- by 2013.
Highlights from the latest market study include:
- Pay-TV operators participating in Infonetics survey most often deliver linear broadcast TV over a pure IP network.
- The majority of IPTV service providers interviewed do not currently support video streaming services, such as YouTube, Hulu, or Netflix.
- Only one third of IPTV operators surveyed currently offer social networking capabilities for their TV offerings.
- Subscription video on demand (S-VOD) is the money-maker among VOD offerings; 83 percent of respondents offer S-VOD for access to premium channels like HBO, Showtime, and Starz, and libraries of first-run movies today, growing to 89 percent in 2013.
