Triple-play revenues to reach US$144 billion

Telecoms and cable operators will see their triple-play subscription revenues reach US$144 billion (€106 billion) in 2018, according to new research by Digital TV Research. 

The forecast, which covers 97 countries, predicts that triple play revenues – from pay TV, broadband and fixed-line telephony – will increase by US$80 billion compared to the 2012 figure.

Triple-play revenues will command 70% of total subscription revenues by 2018, up from 52% in 2012 and 36% in 2008, claims the research, as operators continue to invest heavily in their networks to upgrade their subscribers to bundles.

“Triple-play revenues overtook standalone TV revenues in 2009. Standalone TV revenues will start falling from 2013 as subscribers defect to bundles and as cable and DSL/fibre operators offer lower-priced packages due to greater competition from other platforms,” said Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research.

In terms of subscriber numbers, Digital TV Research claims that triple-play households will overtake the standalone TV total in 2016. TV-only numbers are tipped to decline from 2016 as more and more homes convert to bundles.

Triple-play subscription numbers will reach 333 million by 2018 – up by 239 million on the 2012 figure. By 2018, China will account for 34% of the global total.

“About 21% of the world’s TV households, covering 97 countries, will subscribe to triple-play services by 2018. This is up from just 7% penetration at end-2012 and only 2% at end-2008,” said the study.

Cable will contribute nearly two-thirds of triple-play subscribers by 2018, despite the rapid growth in IPTV subscriptions.

Overall subscription revenues from pay TV, broadband and fixed-line telephony – individually and as part of budles – will increase by 65% from $124 billion in 2012 to $205 billion in 2018, according to Digital TV Research.