The international study examines consumer behavior and future trends for mobile-data services, features, usage and viewing habits. It confirms that mobile TV represents one of the biggest networked multimedia opportunities for the mass market. More than a third (34 percent) of the respondents ranked mobile TV as the most in-demand application.

Didier Mormesse, Senior Vice President CNN International Ad Sales Research, Development and Audience Insight, says: “We've enjoyed considerable growth in our mobile business over the past few years and continue to invest in industry-leading initiatives and new services. Research like this enables us to really get a grasp of what our consumers want, so our digital strategy satisfies our audience's appetite for top-quality news content when they're on the move."

The research highlights that current users already access mobile-TV services frequently, with nearly one in four (24 percent) using the service daily, and around half (52 percent) using it weekly.

Mobile-TV viewers increasingly want to keep in touch with their favorite genres such as the latest news (77 percent), scheduled TV (48 percent) and music (45 percent), wherever they are - all through their mobile handset.

The viewing experience of mobile TV differs from traditional TV home viewing habits in a variety of ways, with the report indicating that about half the respondents use mobile TV around the house for 10 minutes or longer, and more than one in five (22 percent) use it in bed for 15 minutes or longer.

“On a break” seems to be mobile-TV consumers' main time for TV viewing. The study shows that nearly two-thirds (60 percent) of users view mobile TV while waiting for appointments, and more than half (56 percent) use it on public transport. This is a perfect example of how mobile TV provides a unique kind of flexibility for anytime, anywhere access.

Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Multimedia at Ericsson, says: “Although still in its infancy, mobile TV is clearly set to emerge as a popular service within the next few years. Driven by consumers' appetite for the service, together with new usage patterns, mobile TV represents one of the biggest networked multimedia opportunities for cable and telecoms operators.”

Despite strong consumer interest, price remains the main obstacle. However, half of the respondents in the study indicated that they want to watch mobile TV within the next two years.