In the past several months, the interactive television industry has experienced a whirlwind of activity and press. This growth is measurable not only in the increased public and corporate awareness but also by industry analysts who are projecting huge revenues and numbers of potential households using the service.
According to a new report by Myers Group, New York, titled “Interactive Television Outlook 2000,” I-TV revenues will reach $7.3 billion by 2003, with 20 million I-TV users by 2005.
Josh Bernoff, an analyst at Forrester Research, Cambridge, MA, released one of the first major I-TV reports in August 1999, called “Interactive TV Cash Flows,” which projected a combined $18 billion from I-TV advertising and commerce by 2004, with 24 million households by the same year.
Yet another study, released in January by Jupiter Communications, New York, had revenues of $10 billion and I-TV use in 30 million households by 2004.
However, one thing that all three major studies agree on is that Europe is far ahead of the United States in implementing I-TV and will continue to be until the United States fully realizes its commercial viability.
“The bullish I-TV reports that have been released by the major research firms further validate the potential of U.S. t-commerce and interactive advertising,” said Michael Kokernak, president/CEO of Back Channel Media. “When a dominant middle-ware possibly emerges this year, possibly AOLTV or Microsoft, the projected roll outs will then become a reality.”
