The digital rights management (DRM) market will grow at a rate of 12% annually to become a $1.2 billion market by 2018, while the related conditional access (CAS) market will decline slightly to dip below $1.5 billion annually. Opportunities within the DRM market include multiple components, comprising authentication, intellectual property and tools, core DRM technologies, and implementation services and Pay TV services. The Pay TV services submarket, which most closely mimics the classic CAS market, represented only about 35% of the total addressable market in 2012.
€œPay TV content protection markets are being turned on their heads as responsibility at delivering IP video content to the consumer is starting to shift from Pay TV distributors, such as Comcast, DirecTV, and Sky, to programmers including NBCUniversal, HBO, and ESPN. The shift from classic CAS products which, simply speaking, deliver content to a set-top box to more DRM products, which can work with third party smartphones, tablets and connected TVs, has already been well described,€ according to Sam Rosen, practice director at ABI Research. €œEqually surprising is that many of these technologies will become standardized through MPEG-Dash and Ultraviolet such that the responsibility will shift from encryption algorithms to end-to-end system implementation. Premium value content protection, as well as live streaming of TV Everywhere, are emerging areas within the DRM landscape; it is these areas where providers need to be focused on differentiation today.
These findings are part of ABI Research Multiscreen Video Middleware and DRM Research Service.
ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.
