Report predicts mass adoption of pay HDTV services by U.S. households

More than 47 million households in the United States will pay for some type of HDTV service by the end of 2008 — an increase of 17 million homes from the level at the end of 2007, according to a new forecast from Pike & Fischer in Silver Spring, MD.

The forecast, part of the new Pike & Fischer "HDTV Service: Market Forecast for Multichannel Video Providers" report, also predicts that by the end of 2012, up to 103 million households will pay a multichannel video provider for some form of HD service or rental equipment.

Although the broadcast networks now air their programs in HD for free, cable operators, satellite TV providers and telephone companies are striving to make money off the public's appetite for HD video by offering HD premium channels, leasing HD-ready equipment and selling on-demand movies and TV shows in HD format, the report says.

The strong demand for HD video will generate up to $2.6 billion in annual revenue for the multichannel video providers by the end of 2012, according to the forecast.