Within 18 months, the number of U.S. homes able to receive interactive television through cable and satellite systems will drive an increase in the number of advertisers using interactivity. This is a key finding of a study by BrightLine Partners, a company tracking the impact of digital media technologies on television advertising.

BrightLine predicts the 10-million household threshold will be crossed by early 2004. Factors driving the pace of deployment include intensified competition among cable and satellite operators, the ongoing quest for new sources of ad revenue, and the potentially catalytic effects of News Corp’s [NYSE: NWS] acquisition of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH] and its DirecTV unit.