Bundling Strategies, Broadband Penetration will Shield Europe's IPTV Service Adoption in Economic Downturn, says Pyramid

Bundling Strategies, Broadband Penetration will Shield Europe's IPTV Service Adoption in Economic Downturn, says Pyramid

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The ongoing economic downturn will impact IPTV adoption and service revenue growth differently across Europe during the next year due to varied broadband penetration levels, the availability of cheaper alternatives, and telcos' response to competition, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com), the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network (www.lightreading.com).

Europe's Five-Year IPTV Forecast: Mostly Cloudy, but Temperatures Slowly Rising examines the short- to medium-term future of European IPTV in the current economic climate. This 21-page report focuses on the three factors affecting IPTV growth: the combination of the level of broadband penetration and operators' capex, availability of affordable alternatives, and telcos' strategies. Case studies of four markets, two CEE (Russia and the Czech Republic) and two WE (France and Germany), are presented. Event-driven blogs on the telecom market in Europe are also available on www.pyr.com, written by analysts dedicated to the region.

Download an excerpt of this report here: http://www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=5&sc=PR060909_IEUR1.4

At year-end 2008, IPTV subscriptions accounted for only 8.2 percent of total pay-TV accounts in Europe, generating more than US$3 billion (Euro 2.1 billion) or 8 percent of total regional pay-TV revenue, notes Stela Bokun, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. "Although Pyramid projects that by 2014 IPTV will double its share of the total pay-TV market with both subscriptions and revenue, Pyramid predicts the economic crisis will have a negative impact on IPTV service adoption only in certain European countries, while it will reduce revenue growth across the region within the next 12 months," she says.

Telcos' capex cuts will affect IPTV only in countries with low broadband penetration. "If the country had low broadband penetration pre-crisis, its IPTV target market will stay at low levels during and immediately post-crisis; one such example is Spain, which is currently seeing a slowdown in IPTV adoption rates," say Bokun.

Although service quality and convenience play a significant role when the economy is doing well, price plays a crucial role in the adoption of any service. Customers are opting for more affordable offerings from other pay-TV providers. "In Poland, TVN attracted new customers with its affordable prepaid pay-TV service," says Bokun. "In fact, TVN is expected to achieve a 91 percent year-over-year growth for its IPTV subscriber pool in 2009, while total Polish IPTV subscriptions will grow by 34 percent in the same year," she adds.

"If other pay-TV operators in their market are offering very cheap and affordable plans, they should slash their own prices in times of crisis to prevent the erosion of your IPTV subscriber pool," recommends Bokun. "Creative and affordable bundled packages will be a way for telcos to mitigate the adverse effects of the economic recession on IPTV service adoption."

Europe's Five-Year IPTV Forecast: Mostly Cloudy, but Temperatures Slowly Rising is part of Pyramid Research's Europe Telecom Insider report series. Telecom Insiders are packed with trend analysis, industry best practices, market sizing and forecasting, competitor analysis, and case studies, providing you information you can leverage to make better business decisions.

Download an excerpt of this report here: http://www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=5&sc=PR060909_IEUR1.4

This report is priced at $595 and can be purchased online here: http://www.pyramidresearch.com/store/ins_eur_090602.htm?sc=PR060909_IEUR1.4 or by contacting Jeff Claudino via email at claudino@pyr.com or telephone at +1-619-229-9940.

For more information about Pyramid Research's products and services, please visit www.pyr.com or contact us at info@pyr.com.

About Pyramid Research

Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com) offers practical solutions to the complex demands our clients face in the telecommunications, media and technology industries. Our analysis is uniquely positioned at the intersection of emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models, powered by the bottom-up methodology of our market forecasts for over 100 countries-a distinction that has remained unmatched for more than 25 years. As the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network, Pyramid Research works with Heavy Reading, providing the communications industry's most comprehensive market data, trusted research and insightful technology analysis.

About Light Reading

Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the $3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.

About TechWeb

TechWeb (http://techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events, Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, and Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services including next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

*13.3 million business decision-makers: based on number of monthly connections

About United Business Media Limited

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists - with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/.

Press contact:
Jennifer Baker
+1 617 871-1910
jbaker@pyr.com

Source: Pyramid Research

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

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

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