Nearly 1bn connected TVs by 2020

The number of TV sets connected to the internet globally will rise to 965 million by 2020, up from 339 million at the end of this year, according to Digital TV Research.

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According to Digital TV Research’s Connected TV Forecasts, the proportion of TV sets connected to the web will reach 30.4% by 2020, up from 4.2% – or 103 million units – at the end of 2010 and an expected 12.1% at the end of this year.

Digital TV Research predicts that South Korea will have the highest penetration of web-connected TVs, with 52.7% of screens being connected, followed by the UK with 50.6%, Japan with 48.6% and the US with 47%.

The research group predicts that China will account for 160 million of the additional 698 million TV sets that will be connected between 2013 and 2020, with the US contributing an additional 92 million and India 75 million.

Fixed game consoles accounted for the majority of connected TVs until last year, and the number of TVs connected via game consoles is expected to double to 202 million by 2020, lead by the US with 50 million TVs connected via consoles.

Smart TVs overtook game console connected TVs in 2013 and will likely account for 36% of the 2020 total, or 346 million units, led by China, which will contribute 65 million of the total.

Connections via streaming devices such as Chromecast will account for 183 million units by 2020, according to Digital TV Research.