More than 2.3 million subscribers have joined the IPTV ranks worldwide, pushing the number of subscribers past the 38.5 million mark for the second quarter of 2010, the Broadband Forum reported.
European operators hold more than 48 percent of the IPTV market, with France, at 9.4 million, counting for nearly half of the 19 million subscribers in the European theater.
The United States saw strong growth in its IPTV market in the second quarter, adding some 413,500 users to tally nearly 6.5 million users. It was the second largest increase in subscribers in the world.
Topping the list of subscriber growth, not surprisingly, was China (with Hong Kong and Macau), adding 421,000 net subscribers in the second quarter to become the largest Asian market, and the second largest user of IPTV services in the world, with some 6.75 million subscribers.
Overall, Asia makes up just less than 33 percent of the word market for IPTV, with South Korea (2.9 million users, +332,000 in 2Q), and Japan (1.96 million users, +100,000 in 2Q) coming in as the fourth- and fifth largest markets.
"IPTV has seen a steady quarter this time. Most IPTV markets have not reached saturation, so there is plenty more room for growth," said Oliver Johnson, CEO of Point Topic. "Although the second quarter of 2010 doesn't quite match the same period last year there is reason for particular optimism in Asia and North America. As more and more consumers switch to fiber for their broadband we will see the numbers of IPTV subscribers climbing in those markets where FTTx deployment is powering ahead."
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