Digital TV homes to hit 1.67 bln by 2021 - study

The number of digital TV homes is set to rise to 1.67 billion by 2021, some half a billion higher than the end-2015 figure, according to a report from Digital TV Research covering 138 countries. The digital TV total will climb by 120 million in 2016 alone, while global digital TV penetration will reach 98.3 percent of television households by 2021, up from 40.4 percent at end-2010 and 74.6 percent at end-2015. In fact, a total of 98 countries will be completely digital by 2021, compared with only 24 at end-2015 and two at end-2010, said the report.

The Asia Pacific region will drive the increase over the coming years, adding 314 million digital TV homes between 2015 and 2021, including 84 million in 2016 alone. In total, the region will supply nearly two-thirds of the 497 million global digital TV household additions during the surveyed period.

The report also forecast that Sub-Saharan Africa will more than double its base over the same period, with Latin America nearly doubling its total.

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