Digital Content Viewership Set to Grow as Smartphone Sales Surge

People are now consuming video content using various different platforms rather than the traditional television method.

For example, services can be accessed on PCs, tablets and smartphones in almost any location, thanks to the improvements in internet access.

Smartphones allow users to view content in a range of locations, enabling them to fit it into their lives more effectively. Videos can now be watched while commuting or when another family member is using the television.

This practice could be set to grow further in the next few years as worldwide smartphone sales overtake those of feature phones.

Indeed, worldwide smartphone shipments to end users reached 225 million units in the second quarter of 2013, up 46.5 per cent from the same period in 2012.

Anshul Gupta, Principal Research Analyst at Gartner, said: “Smartphones accounted for 51.8 per cent of mobile phone sales in the second quarter of 2013, resulting in smartphone sales surpassing feature phone sales for the first time.”

With more smartphones being made available and the cost reducing, more consumers will have access to digital content as a result.

Video broadcasters are now moving much of their budgets to the digital platform in order to offer a wider range of content for people to consume however and whenever they want. On demand content is becoming popular with users as it is more flexible and can be paused.

It is important firms have an eCommerce model in place that can takeonline payments should it be a paid service. A long-term structure is necessary in order to deliver the best possible platform for users. For example, the system must be integrated across PCs, tablets and smartphones, allowing people to seamlessly log into a device of their choosing.

This is especially true for international companies as mobility in emerging markets is rising substantially. Gartner’s data indicates the regions with the highest smartphone growth are Asia/Pacific, Latin America and Eastern Europe with increased rates of 74.1 per cent, 55.7 per cent and 31.6 per cent respectively.