Emerging Markets Account for 45 Percent of all Set-top Boxes Shipped Globally between 2011 and 2015, IMS Research Forecasts
Date: 11 August 2011

The share of set-top boxes (STBs) shipped to emerging digital TV markets such as China, India, Russia and Latin America is forecasted to account for more than 45 percent of global STB shipments between 2011 and 2015, according to new insights from IMS Research, the leading independent provider of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry. Shipments of STBs in Russia, India, China, and Latin America jumped more than 65 percent between 2009 and 2010 as demand for satellite and digital cable services surged.

This is in contrast to the overall global market, which IMS Research believes saw an 11 percent shipment increase between 2009 and 2010, to just over 220 million STBs. Equipment demand in many more sophisticated digital TV markets is slowing down as saturation is reached, analog terrestrial switch-offs are completed, and penetration of advanced HD and DVR STBs increases. IMS Research forecasts that STB shipments to many advanced markets will drop between 5 and 10 percent between 2011 and 2015.   

“The share of total STB shipments going to emerging markets is unprecedented,” observes Anna Maxbauer, senior analyst and co-author of The World Market for Digital Set-top Boxes and iDTVs – 2011 Edition. “China’s state-sponsored cable and satellite projects accounted for nearly 40 percent of the world’s cable set-top box shipments and 20 percent of the world’s satellite set-top box shipments in 2010. Almost 14% of all satellite STBs shipped in 2010 went to Indian pay-DTH operators.”

Cable and terrestrial digitization projects in a large number of emerging markets are expected to drive exceptional STB shipment volumes through 2015. Digitization of the Chinese and Indian cable platforms, China’s free-to-air satellite expansion, and pay-satellite growth in India and Latin America is forecast to require close to 500 million set-top boxes in the next 5 years alone.

“Indian, Chinese, Brazilian, Mexican, and other Latin American markets offer high-volume opportunities but are less lucrative than their more advanced counterparts,” Maxbauer adds. “However, demand for advanced reception equipment will increase significantly over the next five years in emerging markets, and higher revenues will follow.”

Editors Note :

About IHS Inc. (www.ihs.com)

IHS (NYSE: IHS) is the leading source of information, insight and analytics in critical areas that shape today’s business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 165 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS employs more than 5,600 people in more than 30 countries around the world.

About IMS Research:

IMS Research is a leading independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry, offering syndicated market studies, custom research and consultancy services. Clients include most of the household names in the industry. IMS Research has offices in Europe, the US, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. To find out more, contact IMS Research: enquiries@imsresearch.com; T: +44 (0) 1933 402255; http://imsresearch.com

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