IP & TV Forum North America
Event Info
Description
Both AT&T – now with over a million subscribers, and Verizon have made huge inroad into the market with their IP based services. Thanks primarily to AT&T and Verizon, North America is expected to account for a large proportion of the world's new IPTV subscriptions during the next few years. They join the significant number of regional and local telecoms operators in North America who pioneered this new digital TV platform but the big question is whether any company bringing Pay TV to market this late - even those with the resources of AT&T - can gain significant market share on a national basis. The question remains how regional telcos can build a compelling TV offering at a realistic level on investment.
Meanwhile, the influence of IP is being felt most keenly outside the managed telco services space. In particular, the rise of Over the Top TV services, delivered over the open internet, provides a potentially massive disruption to the traditional TV service model. Whilst these services clearly popular with the public, the search for successful business models - which enhance rather than undermine existing offers - remains a challenge that the industry must embrace.
In North America, IPTV service providers face a tougher test than their European counterparts, who have benefited from a natural watershed in the Pay TV marketplace thanks to the introduction of DVR (Digital Video Recorder), true VOD and Replay TV, and HDTV. In the US, VOD is an established cable offering and HDTV is available widely on cable and satellite. Cable operators have also pursued an increasingly aggressive triple-play strategy (they now have 24 million broadband Internet customers and 5 million telephone customers) and this makes it even harder to tempt customers from their legacy suppliers. Yet cable operators can also reap huge benefits from the implementation of IP, and potentially can enhance their services to combine IP efficiency & interactivity with existing bandwidth to deliver a highly compelling consumer solution.
Hybrid IPTV solutions – which combine managed IPTV with other delivery mechanisms such as DTH or Satellite –are the new boom area in the global IPTV market, with landmark deployments from early IPTV adopters such as Orange/France Telecom, Portugal Telecom & BT Vision. Whilst SES Americom’s strategic withdrawal has marked an early failure in the US market, partnership models will increasingly be a feature of new TV service in North America, particularly in more circumspect times.
These are some of the themes that will be addressed at the IPTV World Forum North America conference and exhibition, which will draw together leading IPTV service providers, content providers, analysts and key technology vendors for what we believe will become one of the key events in the North American IPTV calendar.
Conference Format
The IPTV Forum North America is a highly interactive, intensive, high level two day networking conference. Featuring quality, case study led presentations from carriers, service providers, & content owners, interactive full value chain panel discussion and Analyst round-table briefings, the conference features a variety of structured learning and networking opportunities.
Held in a quality hotel, the event will have an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. All delegates will have access to the online delegate networking tool, which allows communication prior to and after the conference, and will be invited networking features throughout the event.
Why New York?
For 2009 the IPTV Forum North America moves to New York, a leading global city, exerting a powerful influence over the intersection of commerce, finance, culture and entertainment.
New York is a global center for the television, advertising, music, and newspaper industries and is also the largest media market in North America. Some of the city's media conglomerates include Time Warner, the News Corporation the Hearst Corporation and Viacom. Seven of the world's top eight global advertising agency networks are headquartered in New York.
The television industry developed in New York and is a significant employer in the city's economy. The four major American broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, Fox, & NBC, are all headquartered in New York. Many cable channels are based in the city as well, including MTV, Fox News, HBO and Comedy Central.
New York is also a major center for non-commercial media. The oldest public access TV channel in the United States is the Manhatten Neighbourhoo Network, whilst WNET is the city's major public television station and a primary provider of national PBS programming. One-third of all American independent films are produced in New York, whilst three of the " Big Four" record labels are also based in the city, as well as in Los Angeles. Two of the three national daily newspapers in the United States are New York papers: The Walls Street Journal and New York Times.
IPTV World Series
IP&TV Forum North America is the second annual event and part of the IPTV World Series of events organised by Informa Telecoms & Media globally. We have already developed the market-leading Global IPTV event - IPTV World Forum in London, in its fifth year - and the high regarded IPTV Forum Middle East & Africa; the IPTV Forum Asia, now in its fourth year, and the IPTV Forum Eastern Europe. We will be drawing upon our experience and extensive contacts in the global IPTV and content communities to deliver this market-leading conference for North America.
