Apple has announced the expected sales of the new Apple TV to reach one million units by the end of this week. The product envisages features that render, in a simple and qualitative manner, movies and TV shows and stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe. Currently, customers are now renting and purchasing over 400,000 TV episodes and over 150,000 movies per day.  These numbers are encouraging for the online video sector, especially for Apple’s relationship with content distributors, setting standards for how mainstream and broadcast media is reacting to new distribution trends and direct channels to consumers.

The mobil sector will also have a great deal to do with the future of this booming industry, and even the distributors are looking forward to this trend.  Some broadcasters are eager to leverage on-the-go web video via mobile devices. In 2011 the Mobile Content Venture, a group of 12 major broadcasters, will start delivering mobile DTV in 20 markets covering more than 40 percent of the US population. In the first stage of this series of mobile broadcasting, viewers in metropolitan areas such as ‘Chicago, Los Angeles and Orlando, Fla., are scheduled to receive at least two free channels during the second half of 2011.’The continuous changes in technology and the rapid transition from classical TV sets to digital TV and now mobile television impacts the media market to a great extent,” according to this report.

This is progress for the industry overall, but Apple’s released numbers only add insult to the troubles its competitors are facing.  Google TV, for instance, is facing delays around its products and their reach.  Some of the known obstacles Google is facing include its negative relationships with content distributors like Viacom.  Others like FilmOn are facing similar issues with major broadcasters, in a lawsuit that’s escalated to more personal attacks this week.

Nevertheless, online video distribution is closely tied to mobile devices, as connected smartphones and tablets provide on-demand access for this type of content.  Mobile marketing is foreseen as facing a significant growth as a result, with sevral new options that will arise in the video sector alone. ‘While elements of mobile marketing can be beneficially integrated into traditional media campaigns, Andersson warns that businesses must put in place mobile strategies if they are to maximize the channel’s potential.’ According to the latest research from Berg Insight, mobile ad spend will still only account for 3.4% of global advertising spend across all media, despite consumer and business uptake.