Triple-play revenue will reach $144 billion in 2018

China will have 115 million triple play subscribers in 2018 (with only 9 million registered at the end of 2012) and 34% of the world's total.

Telecommunications companies and cable operators are investing heavily in their networks to be able to offer their subscribers better triple-play and double-pay packages. These operators must reap the fruits of this investment as total subscription revenues (pay television - including on-demand services, broadband and fixed telephony) increase by 65%, going from about 124,000 million dollars in 2012 to 205,000 million in 2018, according to a report by Digital Tv Research.

Analyzing a total of 97 countries, Digital Tv Research estimates that triple-play subscription revenue will reach $144 billion in 2018, compared to $80,000 in the total in 2012. Revenue derived from priple-play will account for 70% of total revenue per subscriber in 2018, compared to 52% in 2012 and 36% in 2008.
The United States (60 billion in 2012) will account for 42% of the world's triple-play revenue in 2018, although this growth is below the 59% share in 2008.

Simon Murray, lead analyst on this study, has stated that “triple-play revenues surpassed television revenues in 2009. Independent television revenues will begin to decline from 2013 with subscribers defecting to DSL/cable and fiber packages and operators offering a low-priced offering due to increased competition from other platforms.”

According to Digital Tv Research, triple-play subscriptions will reach 333 million in 2018, increasing by more than $300 million since 2008 and up to $239 million overall in 2012. China will have 115 million triple-play subscribers in 2018 (with only 9 million registered at the end of 2012) and 34% of the world's total.

The number of triple-play households will exceed the total number of subscribers to independent television services in 2016. The total number of independent television services will begin to decline from 2016 onwards as more and more households switch to contracting packages.

Around 21% of television households in the world (in around the 97 countries analyzed in the study) will subscribe to triple play services in 2018. This represents an increase from only 7% penetration at the end of 2012 and only 2% at the end of 2008.

Despite rapid growth in IPTV subscriptions, cable will contribute to almost two-thirds of triple-play subscribers in 2018. Triple-play penetration will continue to be much higher in DSL and fiber to the home (71% in 2018) than in cable homes (42%).