Europe leads the interactive TV revolution - 03/2001

625 million people around the world will have access to online services on their TV sets by 2005, according to the latest research from industry consultants, Strategy Analytics. By the end of 2001, the study predicts that 38 million homes worldwide will have access to interactive digital television services, up from 20 million today. Western Europe accounts for 62 per cent of the audience this year, North America 18 per cent, Asia-Pacific 10 per cent and Latin America 1 per cent. 74 per cent of viewers use a satellite-based service, 21 per cent cable and 5 per cent terrestrial. The most advanced market in the world is the UK, where 40 per cent of homes will have interactive digital television by the end of 2001. All the UKs major digital platforms, satellite, cable and terrestrial, offer a wide range of interactive services such as interactive sports coverage, t-commerce, games, email and walled garden Internet. Other leading European markets include Denmark (household penetration end of 2001 25 per cent), Spain (23 per cent) and Sweden (22 per cent). The success of advanced digital television services is leading to the emergence of a fast-growing new industry of idTV application and software developers eager to build on the potential of the new platforms. The face of television is changing for millions of viewers, says David Mercer, VP, Consumer Practice at Strategy Analytics. Programmers and operators can now plan with confidence for an interactive future.

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