Forecast: Mobile content, ad sales will hit $67 billion in 2012

Mobile media content is going centre-stage.

So much so that, in 2012, global revenue from mobile advertising and content will hit $ 67 billion, according to a new Strategy Analytics forecast.

That is the remainder of the firm’s total mobile media category projection of $ 149.8 billion, which includes a projected 9.5 percent increase in mobile data subscription sales to $ 82.8 billion. The details:

App growth

  • App downloads will grow 38 percent to 23 billion.
  • App spend will grow 30.7 percent to $ 26.1 billion.
  • Apps will make up 18.9 percent of mobile media outlay.

Ad growth

  • Mobile ad spend will grow 85.4 per cent to $ 11.6 billion.
  • In-app ad sales in the US and western Europe will overtake mobile web display sales ($ 934.5 million).

Video slow-mo

  • “Despite the huge audience of 271 million users, ad revenues from mobile video are tiny – a meagre $ 223 million globally in 2011.”
Methodology: Strategy Analytics compiled data from mobile operators, handset vendors, regulators, trade bodies, advertisers, ad networks and its own consumer surveys.

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