Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

The Wall Street Journal

Cable operators buff up guides for Internet age

Brett Sappington, director of research at Parks Associates, says the lack of awareness could be caused by the failure of cable TV operators to advertise such services, known as TV Everywhere. After all, such services do not generate extra revenue, as they are part of a monthly subscription.

Sappington says the people who make use of TV Everywhere are also video lovers who already tend to be higher-spending, loyal customers anyway.

That's partly what makes improved program guides more important. One key strategy in preventing customers from dropping service is having a greater breadth of programming, an advantage that isn't apparent when guides are difficult to use, he says.

"Pay TV has been trying to compete on the premium end forever with more content and more first-run content," he says. "The problem is if you can't find it, you might as well not have it."

From the article, "Cable operators buff up guides for Internet age."
 

Previously In The News

MIT Counter Intelligence Group Cooks Up Kitchen of the Future

Kurt Scherf, vice president of research at Parks Associates, a Dallas market research and consumer-technology consulting firm, said interactive household devices with energy-savings applications wer...

Cable TV May Be Maddening, but Satellites Aren't Perfect Just Yet

Among other things, satellite TV offers "better programming for the same amount of money and more commitment to customer service than the cable industry," say Hongjun Li, a telecommunications analys...

Comcast Expands In Home Security In Hopes Of New Growth

Bill Ablondi, analyst with market research firm Parks Associates, said the market for professionally monitored security and home management services in the U.S. could grow from roughly $9.5 billion...

Internet Providers Hit a Speed Trap

It is unclear whether consumers even know how fast their connection is supposed to be, and providers are often careful to note that promoted speeds aren't always attainable. "Consumers consider the...