Mobile video to top 534 million subscribers by 2014

Worldwide mobile video subscriber totals will grow five-fold between 2008 and 2014 to surpass 534 million according to a new forecast issued by market analysis firm Pyramid Research, which adds that a significant percentage of mobile net additions will come from emerging markets. Pyramid notes that while about 2.5 percent of global wireless customers currently subscribe to mobile video services, that number will increase to roughly 8.5 percent by 2014, citing the availability of improved devices and networks as the keys to driving adoption. Pyramid anticipates that the Asia Pacific market will lead the mobile video growth spurt, increasing to more than 281 million subscriptions by 2014--while the Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea markets already lead in terms of mobile video subscriber penetration, the report also forecasts dramatic uptake in India over the next five years.

While Asia Pacific will lead among total subscribers, Pyramid contends that the Latin American market will grow at an even faster pace, increasing at a CAGR of 39 percent from 2009 to 2014. "Because of intense competition in the video market, operators have to be creative when launching new services; to meet surging demand for video, mobile players are making network upgrades, reducing data charges, improving content, and offering more advanced handsets," said Pyramid senior analyst Derek Medlin in a prepared statement.

For more on the mobile video forecast:
- read this release [1]

Related articles:
U.S. mobile video [2] viewers grow to 13.4 million in Q1
Long-form content upsets mobile video [3] expectations