GPS beats mobile TV for Europeans

European consumers are more interested in location-based services than they are in watching mobile TV, according to new figures from Canalys.
The U.K.-based market research firm said 51% of users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom expressed some interest in watching video on their phones. But 62% said they were interested in GPS-enabled phones, Canalys said, and consumers are more willing to accept mobile ads through location-aware offerings than through mobile TV.
“For advertising-supported services, the survey showed higher interest around vehicle and pedestrian navigation, mobile e-mail and IM than for TV,” said senior analyst Pete Cunningham. “It shouldn’t come as a great surprise that mobile propositions with location or communication at their core resonate the strongest with consumers. Operators need to think carefully before prioritizing unproven content services over applications that consumers already accept are useful and have value.”
And network operators looking to cash in on mobile TV must offer a broad range of content, Canalys warned. While 29% of potential viewers reported interest in watching live events such as athletics and reality shows, others preferred programming based on hobbies, user-generated content or exactly the same broadcasts they could watch at home.
“When asked what types of mobile TV programming they would be interested in, consumers’ preferences are quite diverse, and there is unlikely to be one type of killer content,” said analyst Adrian Drozd. “This suggests many different content partnerships and charging models may be required, which will add complexity for users and for the operators developing such services.”