AOL chief executive Jonathan Miller told the MIPTV trade show in Cannes that online video consumption is growing rapidly and that video-on-demand will become the dominant way audiences access content within a few years.
Miller pointed to AOL's streaming coverage of the 2005 Live 8 concerts as a turning point, noting the service delivered high-quality video to users in 160 countries simultaneously and recorded 90 million streams in the six weeks that followed. The concerts also generated nearly 15,000 AOL blogs as viewers shared reactions. Miller received the show's inaugural Pioneer Prize at the first International Interactive Emmy Awards for that coverage.
A study commissioned by France's National Cinematography Centre supported Miller's outlook, finding that Europe's VOD market grew sharply between 2002 and 2005, with the number of suppliers increasing tenfold. Britain and Germany lead the continent, each offering at least 2,000 titles, while France trails with roughly 700.
AOL, owned by Time Warner, has expanded its video offerings through its In2TV service and is funding the push largely through advertising, a development that threatens a key revenue stream for conventional broadcasters. Reality television producer Mark Burnett confirmed that major companies are shifting advertising budgets toward internet platforms.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.