Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

OTT churn increases in US during pandemic

According to Parks Associates, an increasing number of US broadband households cancelled at least one OTT subscription in the early part of the year, with a significant number also utilising the free trials offered by streamers during the coronavirus pandemic.

More than two in five households have tried out an OTT service’s free trial during the crisis, with 8% trialling four or more.

Of households that signed up to a service during the pandemic, 49% subscribed to Disney+ and 27% subscribed to Apple TV+ – the two best performers.

The report also raises questions about whether subscribers will keep these services with shelter-in-place rules being relaxed, in spite of a growing number of COVID-19 cases in many states. It notes that maintaining subscribers may be difficult for platforms which rely on original programming – much of which will have been affected by delays to production.

Steve Nason, research director at Parks Associates, said: “We are seeing a record number of consumers experiment with new OTT services as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and the shifts in strategy in the industry.OTT services are offering extended free trials to build up engagement, and 8% of US broadband households report they have subscribed to at least one new OTT service since the COVID-19 crisis began.

“The industry is working on new hybrid content strategies as a result of production halts. Major players like AT&T for Warner Brothers and Comcast for Universal Studios are greatly concerned about the delays in content production on the launches of new services, like HBO Max and Peacock. Free trials will bring in new subscribers at the launch, and roughly seven in ten have subscribed to at least one OTT service they have trialed. OTT services need to be creative in building an engaging service, but during this time of heavy video consumption, OTT services have the opportunity like never before to win over new video consumers and retain them as long-term subscribers.”

From the article "OTT churn increases in US during pandemic" by Jonathan Easton.

Previously In The News

Broadpeak launches Multiview solution to simplify multi-stream live sports viewing

Parks Associates’ S.O.S State of Streaming 2026 report found that multiview is one of the most appealing interactive features for sports viewers, popular among 53% of fans alongside critical capabilit...

Biometric Smart Locks: Are Physical Keys Going Extinct?

According to a 2025 market assessment by Parks Associates, owners typically use a smart lock’s fingerprint sensor more frequently than other access methods — 73% of users report using the feature dail...

Eufy Fingerprint Smart Lock Gets 35% Price Cut

Smart locks are no longer niche. Parks Associates reports that more than one in ten US broadband households now owns a smart door lock, and adoption continues to climb as devices integrate better with...

One man accidentally gained access to thousands of robot vacuums, exposing the AI cyber nightmare risk facing millions of Americans

Millions of Americans are increasingly welcoming these internet-connected devices into their most intimate spaces. Roughly 54 million U.S. households had at least one smart home device installed as of...