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 services with ad-supported plans outpace ad-free tiers

Parks Associates released new findings on the state of the U.S. video market during its eighth annual Future of Video: Business of Streaming conference. The research firm’s “S.O.S. State of Str...

Netflix, iHeartMedia Ink Video Podcast Distribution Deal

Upwards of 85 million adult U.S. consumers say they listen to a podcast for at least one hour each week, according to Parks Associates. From the article, "Netflix, iHeartMedia Ink Video Podcast Dis...

Forecast: US subscription TV revenue at $190.7bn in 2030

Parks Associates has announced the release of its Subscription Video Forecast: 2025–2030 report, offering an outlook on the future of the US TV and streaming video market. The report projects stea...

Parks Associates forecasts $190.7 billion in U.S. subscription video revenue by 2030

Total U.S. subscription TV and video revenue is projected to grow from $186.5 billion in 2025 to $190.7 billion in 2030, according to a new forecast released by Parks Associates on Dec. 16. The...