US$77bn payday for mobile entertainment


29 Nov 2006

The total global mobile entertainment market — comprising gambling, adult content, mobile games, mobile music and mobile TV — is currently worth US$17bn but is predicted to reach US$47bn by 2009 and US$77bn by 2011.

Juniper Research estimates that the industry will reach the US$77bn landmark as broadcast mobile TV and mass market casual games take off in a big way.

The global market for mobile entertainment, Juniper predicts, will be dominated by the European and Asia Pacific regions.

Over the whole period 2006 to 2011 Europe is forecast to contribute 35pc and Asia Pacific is forecast to contribute 37pc to global mobile entertainment revenues.

At present, mobile music is the largest sector of mobile entertainment. Approximately 80pc of mobile music revenues come from ringtones.

The second-largest sector of the mobile entertainment market is “infotainment”, which contains a wide variety of sport, leisure and information products but at present is still dominated by wallpapers.

However, Juniper says the domination of mobile entertainment by these traditional core products is forecast to be considerably diluted over the next few years.

Next-generation mobile network technologies will become commonplace and consumers will better appreciate the wider range of entertainment applications that can be enjoyed on a mobile phone.

By 2011 Juniper Research believes that revenues from mobile games and mobile TV will have overtaken those generated by mobile music despite strong growth in revenues from full track music.

The value of bets placed though mobile gambling will also have exceeded the value of the mobile music industry, with betting one of the few mobile entertainment sectors that will not see product price erosion.

“There are tremendous revenue opportunities for all value chain participants in mobile entertainment over the next few years,” says Bruce Gibson, senior consultant at Juniper Research.

“Busy lifestyles in both developed and developing markets means that consumers will have to grab entertainment and relaxation as and when they can.

“Growing disposable incomes, next-generation mobile technology and the metamorphosis of the mobile handset into a multifunction communications and entertainment device will enable them to achieve this in a way hitherto thought impossible,” Gibson said.

By John Kennedy