3G infotainment gets a sporting chance

Leisure, sports and infotainment content will start to mushroom as 3G networks become the norm worldwide, analysts believe.

A new report from Juniper Research has found the market for such content will more than double over the coming years: from 2006's total of $4.2bn to $9.5bn in 2011.

Europe, the analysts report, will be the biggest market for mobile leisure, sports and infotainment -- making up 40 per cent of revenues. The Asia-Pacific region will remain heavier consumers, although the cheaper prices in the region will see Asia accounting for 33 per cent of monies made.

According to Juniper, the continued rollout of 3G networks around the world will help transform leisure, sport and infotainment as users will start to see them accompanied by high-quality video made possible by third-generation technologies.

2008 could prove to be a banner year for content over mobiles -- boosted by Euro 2008 and the Beijing Olympics -- with room for growth in both low-quality user-generated as well as premium paid-for content.

Sports are also predicted to be the main driver behind the growth of broadcast mobile TV.