Monday, April 26, 2010

IPTV

A couple of similar reports on the China iptv market project a doubling of iptv subscribers this year to over 8m users. UT currently has 44% market share but the iptv market numbers include all types of ip-based tv delivery systems, and not exactly comparable to the ones that UT and ZTE provide.

http://www.iptv-news.com/iptv_news/april_2010_3/chinese_iptv_subscribers_up_63_in_2009

This recent article also mentions the # of cable subscribers in China.

"Meanwhile, other platforms continue to dominate the Chinese pay-TV market: there were an estimated 174mn cable TV subscribers in China by the end of 2009, including 65mn digital cable TV customers (up 190,000 from the previous year)."

Here is a link to the earlier article a month ago.

http://www.iptv-news.com/iptv_news/march_2010_4/chinese_iptv_subscribers_to_double_this_year

"Several drivers are expected to push IPTV growth in China between now and 2014, including Beijing's continuing advancement of its triple-play convergence policy, the ongoing competition between telcos and broadcast operators to dominate their own territories, and the strategy among operators to bundle wireline and wireless broadband with IPTV services."

Commentary: Thats a LOT of cable subscribers.......UT mentioned in the last call of winning 6 iptv cable contracts but those were just providing the equipment (old business model) and not including the vendor financing/service model. If UT can execute, maintain their iptv market share, grab material cable subscribers, it already would be a very good year. If something comes in the next few years that will make iptv a "must have" add on, then its lights out.

The company is releasing Q1 results on May 4, 2010. Lets see if they provide updates on the iptv markets in China and if there are any tangible developments with their new investors in Beijing.