Market Drivers

Between 2006 and 2007, the convergence of positive market drivers will facilitate the takeoff of HDTV:

• Significant penetration of HD enabled TV sets
  (primarily LCD and Plasma)
• Introduction of HD DVDs
• Increase in the volume of production of HD content
• Availability of HDTV receivers
• German soccer World Cup

From 2008, the HD market will further accelerate

• Growing availability of HD ready TV sets
• Reach of critical sizes by leading pay TV providers in all main markets
• Multiplication of HD TV channels and HD DVDs
• Olympic games in 2008 and  soccer World Cup in 2010

The move toward Higher Definition TV sets, two main drivers generate equipment sales’ peaks:

Sports can be considered as  premium content. Sport is the main theme for HD channels after movies. Main sport events are the Olympic games (Winter and Summer Olymics every four years each), World soccer cup and the European soccer cup. During the Soccer World Cup 2002, the sale of HDTV sets increased by 12.7% with 45,070 units sold between May and July.

Christmas can also be considered as a boosting period for HDTV sets sales as it is a period where TV viewers are considering spending more on new equipments and where resellers are doing more rebates.