• by Wayne Friedman , December 24, 2013

Worldwide TV and video revenues coming from online/broadband networks will more than double over the next four years -- with advertising-supported platforms contributing about half of that business.

Revenue from subscription, advertising and other sources will grow to early $35 billion in 2018, up from the $15.94 billion expected in 2013 and $3.98 billion in 2010, according to U.K.-based Digital TV Research.

Advertising revenue will represent about 47% of the expected total online TV revenue -- forecast to hit $16.4 billion in 2018. Subscription video on demand revenue will get to $13 billion -- climbing from $6 billion in 2013.

Total revenue from over-the-top (OTT) platforms will be a big part of this expansion. This category will see revenues of $7.4 billion by the end of this year -- up from $2.4 billion in 2010. Estimates are that advertising's share of total OTT revenues will fall to 46.9% in 2018 from 60.6% in 2010.

By 2018, the research also says the number of homes watching online TV and video programming on all platforms -- from both subscription and free advertising-supported platforms -- will more than double to 520 million globally, up from 182 million in 2010.

Those homes with subscription video on demand (SVOD) services, such as Netflix and Hulu, will grow two and half times in four years to 160.6 million in 2018 from 67.8 million by end of 2013. Much of the growth will occur internationally, according to the report .