Cord-cutting driving decline in set-top box SoC market to $2 billion in 2023

The worldwide set-top box video system on Chip (SoC) market will generate US$2.4 billion in 2019, according to ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies. The forecast represents a 5% decline from 2018 including revenue from cable, satellite, terrestrial and IPTV set-top box SoCs.

The increasing popularity of video streaming services has been putting pressure on worldwide pay TV services. “Cord-cutters have a wide variety of streaming services and video streaming boxes that don’t require a set-top box from a pay-TV service provider, which is contributing to the decline in set-top box chipset shipments over the past few years,” noted Khin Sandi Lynn, Industry Analyst at ABI Research.

The decrease in average selling prices, as well as unit shipments, is creating many challenges for set-top box IC makers. Broadcom maintains the lion’s share of the market followed by MediaTek, MaxLinear, and Ali. The set-top box IC market is expected to be driven by the switch from standard definition to set-top boxes that can support higher resolution standards such as HD and ultra-HD.

Improving internet connectivity as well as the increased availability of streaming services are expected to contribute the sluggish market. Support of the ultra HD standard and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into set-top box chipsets will offer high-quality content and advanced features that interact with other multimedia devices in consumers’ homes are differentiating factors for better user experience. ABI Research forecasts that the set-top box SoC market will continue to decline in the forecast period to US$2 billion in 2023.

These findings are from ABI Research’s Set-top Box Video System on Chip (SoC) Semiconductors market data report. This report is part of the company’s Video and Cloud Services research service, which includes research, data, and Executive Foresights. Market Data spreadsheets are composed of deep data, market share analysis, and highly segmented, service-specific forecasts to provide detailed insight where opportunities lie.