TV market returns to growth

Futuresource says sales boost will continue worldwide

TV sales globally are rebounding this year and growth is expected to expand until 2017, analyst Futuresource says.

Worldwide shipments fell six per cent last year, but overall are now back on track to make up that lost ground.

Simon Bryant, head of consumer electronics at Futuresource, said the global picture remains encouraging, with four per cent compounded annual growth expected until 2017.

"In 2017, annual shipments will exceed 270 million units, and emerging markets account for 67 per cent of that," Bryant said.

Developed markets are continuing to shrink but emerging markets will go on growing until 2017, he added.

Flat-panel sales, for example, are becoming saturated, and the next improvement on HD video, called 4K, is still several years away from rapid expansion, according to Futuresource.

3D had been an attempt to invigorate the market which had largely fallen flat, it noted.