iWorld
DTT households to double by 2018 according to Digital TV Research
MUMBAI: The number of homes receiving DTT signals is forecast to more than double in the next five years, reaching 553 million, according to Digital TV Research.
According to the Digital Terrestrial TV Forecasts report, the number of primary DTT homes – those not subscribing to cable, IPTV or satellite TV and using DTT on their main set – will also double between 2013 and 2018, reaching 280 million.
This would mean that 173 million homes – which is 31 per cent of the DTT total – will only watch DTT signals on secondary sets by 2018. This is up from the 64 million at the end of 2012.
By 2018, more than one-third of the world’s TV households will receive DTT signals; this figure was only 15 per cent at the end of 2012. Of this total, nearly one-quarter will be primary DTT homes by 2018, up from the one-tenth in 2012.
Western Europe accounted for more than 40 per cent of the global total at the end of last year. The region, however, is poised to lose market share, contributing 19 per cent of the total by 2018. This is despite its total DTT household figure increasing by 20 per cent, to 105 million. Western Europe will be primarily losing its market share to the Asia Pacific, which is set to increase from 28 per cent of the global total in 2012 to 43 per cent by 2018.
Even though the US has low DTT penetration, it still claimed the top spot in 2012 as the largest country by DTT households. These rankings are set to shift quite a bit over the next five years, though. China is expected to add 132 million DTT homes by 2018, becoming the largest DTT country by a wide margin. Brazil will add 30 million, taking second place, with number three Russia adding 19 million. India will have 15 million DTT homes by 2018, and it had none at end-2012.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
