TV widgets key to monetising OTT video
April 22, 2010
Most consumer electronics (CE) device manufacturers are introducing software platforms that support widgets—also called TV applications—reports In-Stat. This sets the stage for a burgeoning new market and alters how people will access Internet content.
“By 2013, TV applications have the potential to generate over $1.7 billion in annual revenue,” says Keith Nissen, In-Stat analyst. “Our primary research shows consumers already have a moderate interest in TV Widgets. An innovative web-enabled CE device and service from a company like Google or Apple could truly galvanise the market, much as the iPhone transformed the mobile telephony market.”
TV applications are small, self-contained software programs that can be plugged into a web application to access a wide range of content. Due to their broad scope, TV apps are rapidly becoming a ubiquitous product requirement for nearly all web-enabled CE devices.
Research by In-Stat found the following:
– US shipments of web-enabled CE devices that support TV applications will grow from 14.6 million in 2010 to 83.4 million by 2014.
– By 2014, over 59 million US broadband households will own at least one CE device that supports TV applications.
– By 2014, the US installed base of CE devices that support TV applications will be 136 million units.