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Futuresource: e-book market grows by 200%-plus

The recent launch of tablets like the iPad is helping to foster rapid growth in the e-book and e-reader markets, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting.

The recent launch of tablets like the iPad is helping to foster rapid growth in the e-book and e-reader markets, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting.

The increased availability of e-book services is among the other factors found to be informing the trend.

“In 2010, the global e-book market grew by more than 200% to exceed 90 million paid-for units,” said Fiona Hoy (pictured), market analyst at Futuresource Consulting. “This equates to a value of more $900 million and was largely attributable to growth in the US region, which represented more than 80% of global revenues last year.”

Amazon’s Kindle store and Kindle app have helped to drive particularly robust growth in the USA, but the “global balance” is expected to shift over the next few years.

“For many countries across the region – including Italy and Spain – 2010 was the first full year that e-readers were readily available at retail,” said Foy. “However, sparse local language titles and limited paid-for e-book services acted as key obstacles to legitimate paid-for e-book market growth. However, as local-language content and demand develops, Western Europe’s share of global e-book revenues will grow significantly, contributing in excess of $6 billion towards global revenues in 2014.”

The launch of Google’s eBook service in Europe is expected to have a significant impact on the market, while legally free e-book will continue to play an important role, particularly in countries like Italy and Spain where paid-for services are at a nascent stage.

In other news, Futuresource has announced that it will be hosting the Futuresource Entertainment Summit in London on 16 and 17 June. Topics will include the rise of digital content delivery, convergent devices vs. dedicated devices, and the business opportunities presented by new home entertainment technologies, platforms and delivery systems. For more information visit www.fes2011.com.

Source: Futuresource Consulting

www.futuresource-consulting.com