Steve Mehs
01-07-03, 03:59 AM
Research firm In-Stat/MDR reported this week that video-on-demand services from cable are now available in dozens of cities throughout the United States and Canada, and VOD subscribers are now able to "time shift" their favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events.
However, In-Stat/MDR's study - "VOD in the Cable Industry: The Long Wait is Over" - also found that the service will largely be confined to North America for the next few years, limiting VOD's short-term growth rate. "Until cable-based VOD services expand into Asia and Europe, we expect the total number of VOD users to remain relatively modest," said Mike Paxton, a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR.
"While there are currently more than 300 million total worldwide cable TV subscribers, only a small fraction of those subscribers will have VOD services anytime soon," Paxton said.
The In-Stat/MDR study found that about one-third of all digital cable TV subscribers in the United States with available VOD service have become regular VOD users. In addition, the firm predicted that worldwide cable-based VOD subscribers will grow from 3 million regular users at the beginning of 2003 to more than 11 million by 2006.
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/jan2003/010703.shtm#three) (Used with Permission)
However, In-Stat/MDR's study - "VOD in the Cable Industry: The Long Wait is Over" - also found that the service will largely be confined to North America for the next few years, limiting VOD's short-term growth rate. "Until cable-based VOD services expand into Asia and Europe, we expect the total number of VOD users to remain relatively modest," said Mike Paxton, a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR.
"While there are currently more than 300 million total worldwide cable TV subscribers, only a small fraction of those subscribers will have VOD services anytime soon," Paxton said.
The In-Stat/MDR study found that about one-third of all digital cable TV subscribers in the United States with available VOD service have become regular VOD users. In addition, the firm predicted that worldwide cable-based VOD subscribers will grow from 3 million regular users at the beginning of 2003 to more than 11 million by 2006.
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/jan2003/010703.shtm#three) (Used with Permission)