Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Parks: 83% of U.S. Internet Households Subscribe to at Least One OTT Service

 
A solid majority — 83% — of U.S. internet households now subscribe to at least one OTT service, according to new consumer research from Parks Associates. Meanwhile, 45% still subscribe to a traditional linear pay-TV service.
 
The firm’s new white paper, “Engaging Next-Gen Video Viewers: Leveraging AI and ML,” developed in partnership with FPT Software, addresses the increased use of video services, content preferences, discovery challenges and the role of bundles.
 
“The most successful video services going forward will be dominated by innovative technologies, including AI [artificial intelligence] and ML [machine learning], that drive sustained high levels of engagement with consumers through advanced content moderation and curation,” Sarah Lee, research analyst at Parks Associates, said in a statement
 
AI and ML can create a personal experience by leveraging data to understand patterns and relationships at a very granular level, beyond recommendations that “standard” big-data-based systems, according to Parks.
 
“There is a vast range of AI and ML use cases in media and entertainment — companies are only starting to scratch the surface,” Ira Dworkin, managing director of communications, media and entertainment for FPT Software, said in a statement. “These can range from generating richer metadata that can be used to drive experiences to reducing time required for content preparation to driving deeper advertising engagement. Leveraging and extending the data that already exists for many M&E companies to build bespoke AI/ML models can help to drive new insights, ultimately reducing churn and improving subscriber loyalty.”
 
Parks Associates research finds that 30% of U.S. internet households are “service hoppers” or streaming video subscribers who frequently switch services and re-subscribe multiple times. Businesses that harness AI can develop more effective and efficient strategies to keep these viewers from “hopping,” according to Parks.
 
“By understanding the viewer on a deeper, personal level, businesses can deliver a more positive, individualized experience that drives acquisition, satisfaction, and retention,” Lee said in a statement. “AI and ML models can provide this understanding and identify factors that result in higher customer acquisition and long-term subscriptions.”
 
From the article, "Parks: 83% of U.S. Internet Households Subscribe to at Least One OTT Service," by Stephanie Prange.

Previously In The News

Report: Connected Home Consumers Want Data Security Support

Several recent studies have shown that security and privacy are top of mind for consumers considering Internet of Things devices for their homes. Parks Associates back in October noted around 40 pe...

Nest selling cheaper Internet-connected thermostat to reach masses

Tom Kerber of the research and consulting firm Parks Associates said the cheaper thermostat could persuade more shoppers to try Nest. Just 11 percent of American households with broadband Internet hav...

Western European Smart Thermostat Sales To Hit 1 Mln By 2020

Sales of smart thermostats in Western Europe are set to rise from less than 700,000 units in 2016 to more than one million units by 2020, according to a report on smart energy and water products by Pa...

Roku is Making TV Speakers, But They Only Work with Roku TVS

The idea behind this is that if your TV sounds better, people will stream more, which is the metric Roku cares most about, Klarke says. Roku likes to say that it's the US's number one streaming conten...