Media as a business and cultural force is in a period of transformation in all respects. There is a shift underway in media consumption from the U.S. and Europe toward Asia, Africa and Latin America. Print and music may be declining, but TV and on-demand content remain strong. Low-cost mobile devices continue to impact the creation, distribution and consumption of content for a new global audience. As a result, there is an increased focus on non-English media content. Continue reading The Future of Media: Global Shift, Away from U.S. And Europe

According to the “Online TV and Video Forecasts” report from Digital TV Research, worldwide online television and video revenues over fixed broadband networks is projected to reach $34.99 billion in 2018. The projection marks a significant increase from the $3.98 billion recorded in 2010 and the $15.94 billion expected this year. The report predicts that 520 million homes in 40 countries will watch online TV and video by 2018. Continue reading Significant Jump for Global OTT Television Projected by 2018

According to figures released yesterday by the International Telecommunications Union, mobile broadband accessed by tablets and smartphones is the fastest growing segment of the global information and communication technologies market. ITU’s “Measuring the Information Society” report found declining prices for mobile and fixed broadband services in addition to “unprecedented adoption of 3G,” with the number of worldwide mobile broadband subscriptions approaching two billion. Continue reading Mobile Broadband Subs Approaching Two Billion Worldwide

Last week we reported that Verizon Communications had scheduled a board meeting to discuss the possible acquisition of Vodafone’s 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless, a deal that would be the second-largest acquisition on record and potentially lead to additional mergers across the global telecom industry. Vodafone confirmed late yesterday that terms of the deal call for Verizon to pay $130 billion. If approved by both boards, the deal could be announced as early as this afternoon. Continue reading Deal Update: Vodafone and Verizon Agree on Financial Terms

About 25 percent of North American consumer Internet traffic is served by Google, more than that of Facebook, Netflix and Instagram combined, an increase from 6 percent three years ago. Estimates are that the majority of Google’s traffic is from YouTube — the rest involving searches, analytics, and advertising. To deal with the increase in Internet traffic, the company has data centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and has other distribution strategies. Continue reading Google Serves Quarter of Internet Traffic in North America

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is expected to surpass Nintendo Wii’s accumulated lead in U.S. sales by the end of 2013. This projection is based on consistently increasing Xbox 360 sales over the past three years. Although the Wii is the best selling console worldwide, especially in Japan, the previous holiday season was marked by the rise of Xbox 360. Over the last year, the Xbox 360 has outsold the Wii in the U.S. by an average of more than 275,000 units per month. Continue reading Xbox 360 to Surpass Wii in Total U.S. Sales by End of 2013

Microsoft plans to aid entrepreneurship with a new global effort that combines several of its programs to mentor and help fund technology startups. Microsoft Ventures aims to help startups build, innovate and grow. It combines and strengthens existing programs, such as BizSpark and Bing Fund, with plans for new programs involving the Microsoft Ventures Community. The initiative is also looking to provide guidance and market relationships for young B2B startups. Continue reading Microsoft Ventures Program Plans to Steer Tech Startups

A new report published by IHS researcher Screen Digest indicates that the conversion of theaters worldwide to digital projection is “approaching the end game,” with 90 percent of global screens expected to be digital by the end of 2013. By the close of 2012, 68.7 percent of all screens had been converted, with North America at 84 percent. The news comes one day before this week’s four-day CineEurope exhibitor conference in Barcelona, Spain. Continue reading Digital Cinema Conversion to Reach 90 Percent This Year

Google earned more than half of the $8.8 billion spent on global mobile Internet advertising in 2012, according to eMarketer’s first study on worldwide digital and mobile advertising. Google took in nearly one-third of all digital ad dollars spent worldwide. The market research firm notes that Google earned $4.61 billion in mobile Internet ads last year, three times its 2011 earnings. This year’s total mobile revenues are estimated to be up 92.1 percent to $8.85 billion. Continue reading Google Leads in Mobile Ad Revenue, Facebook on the Rise

According to CCS Insight’s new market forecast, more than 6.6 billion mobile phones will be in use worldwide by the end of 2017, and two-thirds of them are expected to be smartphones. Teamed with the growing adoption of tablets, by 2017 mobile devices are projected to outnumber people on the planet for the first time. Additionally, CCS predicts sales of 4G devices to grow tenfold between 2012 and 2017, to 650 million units. Continue reading Market Forecast: Mobile Devices to Outnumber People by 2017

Ericsson released a new mobility report yesterday that suggests video traffic is growing on mobile networks by 60 percent annually and overall data traffic is predicted to grow 12-fold by the end of 2018. The report notes that global smartphone subscriptions reached 1.2 billion in 2012, a number expected to approach 4.5 billion by 2018. Additionally, Ericsson anticipates 60 percent of the world’s population will be covered by LTE in 2018. Continue reading Ericsson Mobility Report: LTE and Mobile Video Drive Growth