Revenue from Mobile Sports Video-Clips & Text-Updates to double in 2005

The rapid proliferation of text-based sports bulletins, videoclips of match highlights and streamed video of key events will see global revenues from mobile sports services more than double during 2005 to US$1.3 billion, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

But while Europe will continue to account for the bulk of revenues from such services in 2005 – 69% of the total – Asia and the US are both expected to experience a dramatic increase in service usage, with the US mobile sports market worth more than US$1 billion by 2009.

According to report author Dr Windsor Holden, “Sports services – even news alerts – are a comparatively recent phenomenon in the US. However, operators are rapidly building up extensive portfolios of sports services: Verizon now offers content from Fox and, ESPN, Sprint from CBS, Sports Illustrated and MLB. As subscribers become more accustomed to using handsets for non-voice services, it seems likely sports content will be among the most popular – and lucrative – of US mobile entertainment services.”

The report also covers the burgeoning market for mobile infotainment services, ranging from text-based interaction with TV shows such as Big Brother to MMS-based mobile soaps, a market expected to reach US$4.5 billion by 2009.
Other findings from the report include:

• There will be more than 210 million users of mobile sports services worldwide by 2009, including 120 million in Asia;
• North American share of global mobile sports revenues to rise from 1% in 2004 to 26% in 2009;
• More than 380 million mobile users, or 21% of the global subscriber base, are expected to use some form of mobile infotainment service in 2005

White papers and further details of the new study ‘Mobile Sport & Infotainment (second edition)’ can be obtained at www.juniperresearch.com or from Michele Ince at:
michele.ince@juniperresearch.com, Telephone +44(0)1256 345612.

Juniper Research provides analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing analyst reports, consultancy and industry surveys.