Only 19.6 Million IPTV Subscribers Worldwide

Reuters released an article today saying that IPTV subscribers are expected to reach 19.6 million by the end of the year. That is a 64% increase.

The growth of online video has been huge but the shift to Internet Television Broadcasts controlled by the viewer has endless possibilities. This shift has become great enough that it is now possible to watch a great deal of network programming on ad based internet services. Shows like Heroes, Lost, and 30 Rock are all available online.

The research released by Gartner mentions subscribers as people who are actively paying for IPTV broadcasts such as the several ad-free Video On Demand Services available from companies like DirectTV, Cablevision, Comcast, Vudu, and Apple.

What is surprising is the fact that this number of subscribers is only about 1.1 percent of households worldwide. The geek in me already knows that I must become one of the 1.1 percent (What kind of geek would I be if I didn't?) However, how could there be so few people using these services?

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