Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Parks: 89% of U.S. Households Have a Streaming Video Subscription

Parks Associates research sees an uptick of subscription streaming services among U.S. households, led by streaming video, retail memberships, and streaming audio, while 20% of households have a gaming subscription, outpacing gym memberships.

Citing data from a new consumer study of 8,000 U.S. internet households, Parks found that 89% of households have a streaming video service, and 32% subscribe to a streaming audio service. One in five internet households subscribe to a gaming service, while 16% have a gym membership.

“The evolution of hardware to a service model and demand to drive engagement and loyalty for brands through apps are driving the rise of subscription services,” Jennifer Kent, VP of research for Parks Associates, said in a statement.

Kent said that Spotify’s premium subscriber adoption is as high as that of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Discovery+ platform, which she said is the ninth-biggest video subscription service.

While many subscription services see adoption drop-offs after age 45, Kent believes that households can absorb the high prices for gaming and fitness services, appearing to prioritize convenience over the cost of streaming services.

Categories that provide entertainment (music, gaming) and convenience (child/baby, meal service) fare particularly well in terms of customer loyalty, according to Parks. The Dallas-based company believes that internet and traditional pay-TV providers, which traditionally have subpar consumer satisfaction scores, can benefit from partnering with — or bundling in — streaming services that garner higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

“Competitive pressure will force market challengers to forge stronger ties, [such as] Walmart+ and Paramount+,” Kent said. “Subscription bundlers should seek offerings that span entertainment, productivity, and convenience.”

From the article, "Parks: 89% of U.S. Households Have a Streaming Video Subscription" by Jennifer Kent

Previously In The News

Hulu Is Slowing, Hits 12 Million Subscribers Versus Netflix’s 81 Million

But growing membership is harder to keep up at the same clip for all streaming services, as more and more companies launch their own online platforms. As consumers shift more of their entertainment di...

WWE Hires New Executive For China Expansion

So far, WWE's 24-hour video service is available in 180 countries across Asia, Europe and other regions. By the end of 2015, WWE posted nearly 280,000 paid international subscribers, accounting for...

Netflix Is King of Paid Streaming, Study Says

Fear about missing out on the next big video audience has spurred programmers like HBO, CBS, Showtime and others to launch their own personal versions of Netflix. But the money generated by their new...

25% Of Smartphone Owners Use Payment Apps Monthly

The report from Parks Associates found that shoppers showed a preference for retailers' mobile payment programs such as Starbucks over larger payment systems including Apple Pay, Google Wallet and And...