Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Paid streaming for cheapskates is having a moment

“This is a lot of catalog content,” says Parks Associates entertainment research director Michael Goodman, using industry shorthand for titles making up Hollywood’s back catalogs.

“There is not one business model that fits everybody,” says Goodman. Adding ad-free streaming to its portfolio is a smart move for Roku, he argues. “You need to have multiple platforms to reach the consumer.”

If Howdy catches on, other free streamers may follow with their own paid plans, predicts Goodman. “There is potential for this to expand to other services.”

“Subscription growth at any cost — that’s not the model today,” says Goodman, alluding to the billions of dollars the industry poured into streaming a few years ago.

When services like Apple TV Plus and Peacock launched in 2019 and 2020, respectively, they bet on undercutting Netflix with deeply discounted subscription plans — only to double the costs of those plans in the following years.

Could the same eventually happen to Howdy subscribers? Goodman thinks so. “Over time, the price will rise,” he says.

From the article, "Paid streaming for cheapskates is having a moment" by Janko Roettgers

Previously In The News

Streaming Plays Nicely With Cable VOD, Netflix Is New Norm

Overall, SVOD spending in U.S. broadband homes is up nearly 67% since 2012, according to research from Parks Associates. That firm said the average monthly spend on SVOD in U.S. homes was $6.19 in 201...

Music Streaming Proving Popular For Phone Users

According to research from Parks Associates, 68% of smartphone owners listen to streaming music daily. That’s comparable to the 71% of consumers who watch short video clips on their phones daily. But...

The Streamers Fight For Position

But now, you don’t have to back into asking people about streaming media. They get it. And they also get it. A just-out report from Barbara Kraus, director of research for Parks Associates, calculates...

Netflix Has Low 'Churn' Rate Among Top OTT Services

Hulu is in 14% of all U.S. broadband subscribers, about 12.6 million subscribers. Parks says Hulu had a churn rate that equates to about half its subscribers. Looking at all U.S. broadband subscrib...