Audience for mobile TV small but enthusiastic

A small but dedicated segment of consumers will drive the early market for video content and live TV services on portable and mobile platforms, finds Parks Associates’ recent study “Mobile Entertainment Platforms and Services.”

The majority of these consumers belong to a consumer segment dubbed “Mobile Aficionados,” which consists of more than 40 million Internet users, the researchers said.

The study, based on a survey of more than 2000 U.S. Internet users, found 13 percent of those who own one or more portable devices would like to see capabilities for live TV integrated into these devices. In addition, 12 percent perceive the portable functionality of watching videos such as movie trailers and full-length movies as important.

“The percentages of consumers interested in mobile video/TV services are smaller than those for other functions such as taking photos and listening to music,” said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, senior analyst at Parks Associates. “But there is a group of hardcore mobile entertainment enthusiasts who are very motivated — either they have already adopted a portable device with video playback functions or are very eager to add live TV support to their mobile devices.”

The report also finds that among those who value the capability for pre-recorded video services, close to 30 percent already own a portable device that serve this need, with another 7 percent showing a strong desire to have this function. For those who value TV viewing capabilities, a smaller percentage (10 percent) already have a capable device, and close to a one-fourth (24 percent) have very strong desire to add such a function.

For more information, visit www.parksassociates.com.

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