Mobile TV and the 2010 FIFA World Cup Score Big in Western Europe, Pyramid Finds

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will boost the uptake of mobile video and mobile TV services in Western Europe (WE), giving operators a stage to display the best of mobile TV and video, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com).

Mobile TV and the 2010 FIFA World Cup: Scoring Big in Western Europe examines the effect of the 2010 World Cup on the adoption of mobile video and mobile TV services across Europe. The report provides a five-year forecast of mobile video and TV adoption, smartphone handsets sales, and 3G+ penetration of total mobile subscriptions in Europe in the 2010-2014 period. The case studies examine the effect that the 2010 World Cup will have on the mobile video and TV service adoption in Germany and Spain, as well as in Poland and the Czech Republic.

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According to FIFA, the 2006 World Cup in Germany was aired in 43,600 broadcasts in 214 countries, generating 73,072 hours of coverage, notes Stela Bokun, author of the report and Senior Analyst at Pyramid Research. "Events of this magnitude always present a sizable revenue opportunity for traditional pay-TV providers. The last World Cup, however, demonstrated that mobile operators that provide mobile video and mobile TV service also stand to benefit from such events," she says.

With the recent skyrocketing proliferation of smartphones and the increase in mobile Internet bandwidth, many Europeans may watch the matches on their mobile handsets. However, the World Cup will boost the uptake of mobile video and mobile TV services in WE markets, while the effect on the service adoption in Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets is likely to be negligible.

More national representation, commuter-unfriendly kickoff times, and optimism about the caliber of WE teams will drive adoption across the region. Mobile video and TV services are relatively expensive advanced mobile data services, often requiring the usage of costly 3G-enabled mobile devices. Most CEE mobile customers cannot afford to pay an extra fee or buy a handset that supports mobile video or TV services. In WE countries, where average disposable incomes are higher than those in CEE and where mobile video and TV services are priced more affordably, these services will see higher adoption levels during the 2010 World Cup and beyond.

  Jennifer Baker
  Pyramid Research
  +1 617 871 1910
  jbaker@pyr.com

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SOURCE: Pyramid Research

CONTACT: Jennifer Baker of Pyramid Research, +1-617-871-1910,
jbaker@pyr.com

Web Site: http://www.pyr.com/