IPTV subscribers estimated to number 6 mn this week

The total number of subscribers to Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services is projected to exceed six million this week.

A total of 5.95 million people subscribed to IPTV services as of October 28, according to data released by major IPTV service providers including KT, SK Broadband, and LG Uplus and Korea Digital Media Industry Association (KODIMA) Monday.

The number of subscribers has been growing by 30,000 to 40,000 per week. Given this trend, the number is expected to reach six million by the end of this weekend.

KT's IPTV service, Olleh TV, had the largest subscriber base with 3.65 million customers, followed by SK Broadband's BTV with 1.29 million and LG Uplus' U+ TV with 1.00 million.

The number of total subscribers is estimated to reach six million in seven months since last April, when the figure hit five million.

It took a year for the total number of IPTV subscribers to rise from three million in December 2010 to four million. But the figure jumped to the five million range in four months, and is expected to break the six million range in seven months, continuing to grow at an accelerated pace.

If the IPTV service providers secure six million this week, they will achieve the six million subscriber milestone at a twice-faster pace than Cable TV service providers, which launched the services in 1995 and took seven years to have six million subscribers in 2002. The old services had 14.97 million subscribers as of late last year.

[Written by Sun-ah Kim / edited by Soyoung Chung]

[ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]