Pay-TV 4K Viewership to Reach 46 Million Homes Globally by 2018, Parks Says

Ultra HD pay-TV viewership will reach 46 million homes globally by 2018, Parks Associates said in a forecast Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1u155nH). Pay-TV providers will deploy 4K content delivery "as a differentiator, especially among younger consumers who are more likely to use new pay-TV features, such as TV Everywhere and cloud DVR, but also have slightly lower subscription rates for pay-TV services," Parks said. In the U.S., 82 percent of consumers in the 18-22 age group have a pay-TV subscription, compared with 87 percent among older adults, it said. "To enjoy the true benefits of 4K, three things need to be present: the television, the content, and a way to get the content to the TV," Parks said. Parks thinks 4K "can deliver an enhanced experience to viewers, but these three factors are not yet aligned," it said. "Getting 4K content to the TV remains a key challenge as is the pace of production of 4K content."