December 11, 2006 – CURRENTLY worth $17 billion, the global mobile entertainment market will grow to $47 billion by 2009 and $77 billion by 2011. Food for thought for anyone pondering the evolution of IFE, these arresting figures come from a new report by UK-based Juniper Research.

The company sees an explosion in revenues from mobile entertainment - including gambling, games, music, television and infotainment – as broadcast mobile TV and mass-market casual games take off. The market will be dominated by Asia-Pacific and Europe, respectively contributing 37 per cent and 35 per cent of global revenues.

Music is currently the largest sector, followed by infotainment - sport, leisure and information products. But the report expects their domination to shrink as
next-generation mobile network technologies become commonplace and
consumers better appreciate the range of entertainment options available through mobile devices.

Juniper believes that by 2011 revenues from games and TV will have overtaken those from music. The value of bets placed through mobile devices will also have exceeded that of music industry.

“There are tremendous opportunities in mobile entertainment over the next few years,” says Juniper senior consultant Bruce Gibson. “Busy lifestyles in both developed and developing markets mean that consumers will have to grab entertainment and relaxation as and when they can. Growing disposable incomes, next-generation mobile technology and the metamorphosis of the mobile handset into a multifunction communications and entertainment device will enable them to do this in a way hitherto thought impossible.”