The Times interview White Space Director John Bee on TV viewing trends

9 April 2010

The Times today published their analysis of the impact and importance of HDTV, 3DTV and other innovative broadcasting technologies on viewing behaviour at this year's FIFA World Cup finals. This quoted John Bee's views on online streaming, which is set to become a signficant World Cup viewing platform for the first time this summer.

Drawing on recent analysis of the growth of HD in the US and UK, as well as of online streaming and mobile TV, John Bee highlighted the following insights to TV viewing of South Africa 2010:

• Online streaming: for the first time, people will be able to watch matches from their desks at work, which will make the daytime matches much more accessible for workers but also potentially problematic for employers

• Sports and a showcase for HD: HD has grown rapidly in the US, driven significantly by sports with events such as the Super Bowl and World Series used to showcase the benefits of HD. It is likely that broadcasters and technology providers in the UK will look to use the World Cup in a similar way to grow interest and demand for HD services

• Convincing the sceptics: the sociable nature of viewing major football tournaments means that it will be many people's first experience of HD, watching either at friends' homes or at pubs. The World Cup is therefore a shop window for HD, and an opportunity for broadcasters and technology providers to convince the sceptics of its value over and beyond SD

The Times article, which was also published in their hard copy newspaper, can be found at:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article7092501.ece

John Bee, Director of White Space, comments:

"In four years since England last appeared at a major football finals, TV viewing and media consumption have seen a revolution, with PVRs, HD, VoD, online streaming and social networking all emerging as significant parts of our lives and society. South Africa 2010 will therefore be viewed, shared, analysed and consumed in a very different way to previous football World Cups, highlighting how far the media sector has developed in such a short space of time. It will also provide a fantastic opportunity for media companies, technology providers and retailers to showcase these new developments"

For further information and media enquiries contact Arash Fatemian, Senior Media Analyst on 01865 324 986 or alternatively email us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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