In the Smartphone SVOD Forecasts report, the analyst researched mobile subscription in 138 countries covering subscriptions taken via a mobile operator, so they exclude direct SVOD subscriptions via a mobile app.

The research found that the net smartphone SVOD subscriber count will rise by 34 million between 2019 and 2025 to reach 93 million – lower growth than gross subscriptions. The total will climb by 25 million in 2020 alone.

Digital TV Research found that the average smartphone SVOD subscriber will pay for 1.83 gross SVOD subscriptions by 2025 – up from 1.45 in 2019. It added that these figures are lower than for fixed broadband homes. Smartphone SVOD take-up will be highest in emerging markets, especially those with low fixed broadband penetration, where disposable incomes are limited.

Smartphone SVOD subscribers via mobile operators will reach 16.0% of the 582 million global SVOD subscribers by 2025; up from 14.6% of the 403 million in 2019.

Whilst noting that the numbers revealed in the Smartphone SVOD Forecasts report were strong, Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research noted that the forecast “could easily” more than double if direct mobile SVOD subscriptions were included.