News Broadcasting
Online video services to see explosive growth in US: IDC
MUMBAI: Internet video services are on the brink of becoming a mainstream phenomenon in the United States.
According to a new forecast from IDC, internet video services will generate over $1.7 billion in revenues by 2010, an increase of more than $1.5 billion from 2005 totals. Much of this growth will be fueled by a surge in the amount of premium content made available online. However, IDC cautioned that the market’s potential could be dampened by key technical and legal hurdles.
The market for internet video services began its dramatic acceleration in 2005 as content owners, once unwilling to offer their products online, started to experiment with digital distribution as a way to complement and enhance their existing business models and to stem illegal P2P file sharing and piracy. In particular, the television networks’ decision to offer episodes from new shows as well as old sparked significant interest in internet video. Television content, which is available in ample amounts and is ideally suited for the PC, is expected to be an integral component to revenue growth throughout the forecast period.
IDC’s Consumer Markets associate research analyst Josh Martin says, “The internet video market has a huge upside. With that upside, however, comes the risk to content owners of cannibalizing existing revenue streams. In order to properly take advantage of this emerging market, content owners to aggregators to consumer electronics manufacturers must understand the challenges the market faces and how to overcome them.”
The key drivers for the adoption of internet video include the expansion of premium content offerings online and the emergence of home networking solutions that allow consumers to more easily view Internet content on their televisions. As services become increasingly common, content owners will leverage internet video to complement their existing revenue streams and to generate additional revenue from archived content and new content created specifically for the service.
IDC expects that content owners will migrate toward three basic service types. Advertising-based services will remain the dominant type of internet video service, although its share of total market revenue will decline as a la carte services, buoyed by consumer familiarity with iTunes, grow dramatically over the next 2-3 years. Subscription-based services will experience steady growth throughout the forecast period, enhanced somewhat by the emergence of home networking solutions that make subscriptions more appealing to consumers.
In order to sustain the momentum gathered in 2005 and maximise opportunities for success, content owners and service providers will need to overcome several important problems, including licensing issues, inadequate video search, competitive challenges, and the issue of how to move content beyond the PC. IDC believes that companies involved from the creation to distribution of content will have to partner with others across the value chain to create appealing, flexible services that will evolve into viable businesses.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
