Digital terrestrial television: consolidation of the existing TV market structure or innovation towards convergence? - Even though competition among platforms has not yet clearly established a winner, digital TV has grown significantly everywhere. Technological developments have allowed new models for content consumption. User-generated content, on-demand services, catch up TV, PVRs which allow the creation of individual schedules and skipping commercials are disrupting the traditional passive mode of content consumption. Faced with these new models, some TV players are actually proactive in creating cross-platform synergies, in order to exploit their expertise and brand across a multitude of platforms, thus increasing their profits. The competitive scenario is undergoing substantial changes compared to the one we had grown familiar with over the last twenty years. Penetration of digital TV is moving ahead: in June 2008, there were nearly 100 million digital TV households in Western Europe, thus reaching 60% of European TV households. Satellite is still the most widespread digital access, but digital terrestrial television records the highest growth rates, thanks to the success reported in some of the biggest markets. After the Netherlands, also Finland and Sweden have completed the analogue switch-off. New platforms such as ADSL, FTTH are still struggling to conquer a place in the market. Although it is still a marginal platform, the IPTV is reporting interesting figures. Other services followed in Germany, Finland and the United Kingdom after the first commercial launch of mobile broadcast TV in Italy in June 2006,. Other services are expected to be launched with the EC supported standard DVB-H.
Keywords: television, digital TV, convergence, market strategy.
Parole chiave: televisione, TV digitale, convergenza, strategia di mercato. .
Jel Classification: L82
