It’s looking to be another lacklustre year for mobile TV, with little commercial success, despite the significant sums of money companies are currently pumping into it, according to Deloitte’s 2007 predictions for the global telecoms and media industry. In fact, the quickest way to increase profits may be to turn the model on its head. Deloitte suggests “moving video content from the phone and onto bigger screens is far more likely to reap profits than trying to squeeze television onto mobile phones.” The study, based on a survey of more than 5,000 execs, practitioners and financial analysts, indicated it will be a banner year for mobile, with broadband heralding in a new era of PC-less Internet access via a broad range of mobile devices.
Deloitte also predicted social networking sites may be able to make their money on subscription models and privacy services. Granted, this is not immediately relevant to mobile – but it will become a focus as sites offer a range of value-added services that include mobile access (and don’t forget storage for mobile content such as photos and mobile blogs) and voice messaging.
Among other predictions from the study: (This site has the complete list.)
-Audience participation and voting via SMS, to determine the outcome of TV shows, will continue to grow and generate revenues.
-Mobile will consolidate its position as the primary network for voice calls, a trend that will turn up pressure on network operators to shift their strategies and build greater capacity to cope with the volume.
-A big push toward user-driven technology and user-generated content (UGC) will result in more companies providing users with content and services on their terms. The result will likely be new product categories, new markets, and even new industries.