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

Hear the future: IoT voice control

Topping market research firm Parks Associates’ list of Top 10 Consumer IoT Trends in 2017 is this: Voice control is vying to become the primary user interface for the smart home and connected lifestyl...

PayPal, Starbucks top consumers' mobile payments preferences, study says

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. smartphone users have used a mobile payment app at a retail location, according to new mobile research from Parks Associates. The report, 360 View: Mobility and the App Ec...

Wireless Displays Streamline Setups for Meetings

Parks Associates says that as smartphones and tablets become the norm at most organizations, organizations are beginning to deploy wireless display technology in the workplace. “It used to be that...

Smart Home Gadgets Need To Live Together

Smart home technology that has long been knocking at doors will settle into the mainstream after rival gadgets and services become hassle-free guests that get along with one another, industry insiders...