BASINGSTOKE: Rising mobile device ownership will result in more than 2bn consumers regularly watching mobile TV and video within four years, a new study has claimed.

The report, Mobile/Tablet TV & Video: Content, Broadcast & OTT Strategies 2013-2017, from Juniper Research, the research and analytics company, looked at latest developments in the mobile TV and video sector and examined how the market is evolving.

It found that mobile is increasingly being used as the primary screen for consuming TV and video content among younger demographics and that streaming services are increasingly integrating with social networks.

"Sharing content via handsets or tablets has become an intuitive experience for many," Juniper said.

At the same time, the success of video streaming providers, such as Netflix, in offering multi-screen experiences via smartphones and tablets is threatening traditional pay-TV services.

App stores have also been able to establish themselves as VOD services by negotiating the rights to sell access to TV and video content, while YouTube, the world's largest online video platform, has begun to offer subscription channels.

"This will have incredible repercussions throughout the mobile space," said Siân Rowlands, the report author, "given YouTube comes preinstalled on an immense number of devices and the Android platform's billing options."

In a separate development, Digiday reported that YouTube has introduced a tool that lets consumer goods brands feature relevant products alongside their branded videos, giving consumers the option to get more information, price compare and buy the products.

Another important factor in boosting the number of viewers towards 2bn will be how mobile develops in emerging markets, according to the Juniper report.

In many developing regions, fixed broadband penetration remains low but the uptake of wireless devices is higher. Mobile handsets are frequently the only device capable of accessing video content such as news, sports and music.

While the smartphone ownership is not yet widespread markets, better quality displays and faster processors in feature phones mean that watching mobile TV and video possible for feature phones.

Developed markets, in contrast, will see increased penetration of tablets like the iPad, Juniper suggested.

Data sourced from Juniper Research, Digiday; additional content by Warc staff