Featuring: Jennifer Kent & Michael Goodman

Parks Associates’ Q3 2025 Streaming Video Tracker (SVT) webinar, led by Jennifer Kent and Michael Goodman, highlighted the major developments shaping the streaming video ecosystem. The session combined tracker updates, service changes, and new data insights, while previewing upcoming Parks Associates research and the Future of Video conference.

Key Themes and Market Context

Jennifer Kent opened the discussion by emphasizing the dynamic and evolving nature of the streaming market — “never static and never boring.” She and Michael Goodman explored the interplay between content, technology, and consumer behavior that continues to redefine the digital entertainment landscape.

  1. Future of Video 2025: Industry Collaboration and Thought Leadership

The eighth annual Future of Video: Business of Streaming will take place November 18–20 in Marina del Rey, CA. The event gathers leaders across content production, CTV platforms, broadband providers, and ad tech companies to discuss emerging trends in hybrid service models, aggregation, AI in entertainment, live sports, and the evolving ad ecosystem.

Michael Goodman will be leading multiple sessions, including panels on platform expansion, global streaming strategies, and next-gen advertising. He also highlighted the increasing role of smart TV operating systems as gateways not just to streaming, but to broader digital experiences — from gaming to smart home integration.

  1. Tracker Updates: New Services, Mergers, and Market Shifts

Jennifer and Michael reviewed updates in the Streaming Video Tracker, which now monitors more than 300 streaming and transactional services across North America.

New or Updated Profiles:

  • CityTV+ (Rogers Sports & Media) – a Canadian virtual MVPD offering live and on-demand programming.
  • Howdy (Roku) – a low-cost ad-free service ($2.99/month) featuring “comfort content” such as classic comedies and cult favorites.
  • Scholastic TV – an ad-supported streaming platform for children ages 2–12, in partnership with Nine Story Media Group.
  • SNLA (SportsNet LA) – a regional sports streaming service for Dodgers and LA-area fans priced at $29/month .

Branding and ownership changes:

  • HBO Max reverted to its original name, reflecting Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategic realignment.
  • Cineplex Store rebranded as Cosmo Go, expanding beyond TVOD to new service models.
  • IFC Films Unlimited ceased operations, with its library consolidated under Sundance Now.
  • Microsoft shut down its TVOD store, leading Parks Associates to retire its user estimates .

Additionally, Parks Associates incorporated Google TV estimates, tying the platform’s usage to the global Android TV OS footprint — a key milestone in cross-device measurement.

  1. The SVOD Landscape: Subscriber Rankings and Strategic Shifts

Each Q3, Parks Associates publishes its Top 10 SVOD List by U.S. subscriber count, providing a multi-year view back to 2020. The rankings show a relatively stable top tier, though changes in distribution partnerships and bundling continue to shape competitive dynamics.

This quarter, Hulu overtook Disney+, propelled by its partnership with Charter Communications, which made Hulu available at no additional cost to Charter Select subscribers. Goodman estimated this added roughly 10 million subscribers — a one-time bump that moved Hulu into third place.

Kent connected this to broader broadband bundling trends: streaming services are now the #1 most common bundle with home internet, surpassing traditional pay TV and phone bundles. The integration of content into connectivity packages reflects a reshaping of value propositions for ISPs competing with 5G home internet services from Verizon and T-Mobile.

Goodman clarified confusion around recent news headlines — Hulu is not disappearing. The Hulu app is being folded into a unified Disney+ app experience, with integrated tabs for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. This move signals Disney’s shift toward an all-in-one gateway model similar to Amazon Channels.

“It’s one app to rule them all,” Goodman joked — framing the move as part of a long-term strategy to control the viewer experience, increase cross-promotion, and consolidate engagement.

  1. Transactional Video-on-Demand (TVOD): Consolidation and Opportunity

While SVOD and FAST dominate headlines, Kent and Goodman emphasized that transactional video remains vital, particularly for theatrical releases and premium windowing strategies.
Recent shifts include:

  • Microsoft’s TVOD shutdown
  • Philo’s acquisition of Row8, integrating new release rentals into its vMVPD service
  • Fandango at Home’s spin-off, expanding into PPV and network VOD models
  • Cineplex → Cosmo Go transformation into a broader hybrid platform

Survey data from Parks Associates shows Prime Video continues to lead in transactional usage, followed by YouTube, Google TV, and Apple TV/iTunes. These findings underscore the growing convergence of streaming ecosystems, where purchase and subscription options increasingly coexist.

  1. Market Analysis: Netflix, Pricing Pressure, and Profitability

Discussing Netflix’s Q3 2025 earnings, Goodman and Kent agreed that the company’s priorities have shifted “from growth at all costs to sustainable profitability.” With subscriber growth plateauing in mature markets, Netflix is diversifying through:

  • Advertising tiers to increase revenue per user
  • Partnerships (e.g., Spotify collaboration) for cross-platform engagement
  • Mobile gaming initiatives to deepen retention and broaden content categories

Kent added that experimentation with short-form and lower-cost content—like podcasts and video podcasts—reflects the industry’s adaptation to production cost constraints while maintaining engagement.

  1. Consumer Behavior and Emerging Formats

The webinar also explored short-form and micro drama content trends. Goodman noted the rise of short-form “micro dramas” in China and Latin America as part of a global shift toward snackable storytelling. Kent added that younger audiences are “mobile-first, social-first, and vertical-first,” consuming vertical videos even on large TV screens without friction.

They linked this trend to generational viewing changes, where Gen Z and Gen Alpha prefer highlights, clips, and social engagement over full-length linear programming — particularly visible in sports content consumption.

  1. Connected TV Platforms: The OS as Consumer Gateway

Drawing from Parks Associates’ new study, Connected TV Platform Expansion, Goodman explained that smart TVs are now the dominant connected TV device and serve as the primary consumer gateway for entertainment, advertising, and smart home control.

Key insights include:

  • The smart TV OS is replacing the traditional cable box as the home’s digital hub.
  • Platform operators (e.g., Roku, Amazon, Google) now capture major ad revenue streams via OS-level placements.
  • TVs are evolving beyond entertainment into gaming, fitness, and smart home control centers.
  • Consumers increasingly cite the operating system as a purchase driver, reflecting growing OS brand loyalty.

Kent highlighted that while most buyers still prioritize price, size, and brand, OS familiarity and navigation are now influencing TV purchase decisions — a first in Parks’ tracking history.

Goodman added that tensions between TV OEMs and OS vendors are intensifying as brands like TCL or Hisense push back against Roku’s dominant branding. Meanwhile, emerging OS players like TiVo and Vestel’s Vestr offer white-label solutions that return branding control to manufacturers.

  1. Forecast: Subscription Video Revenues and the Rise of Ad Tiers

Parks Associates’ upcoming Video Service Market Sizing and Forecast 2025 will present detailed modeling for SVOD, ad-supported SVOD, and pay TV. Goodman previewed findings showing clear divergence between subscriber rankings and ad-tier rankings.

  • Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount+ maintain strong ad-tier adoption due to early integration.
  • Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max are newer entrants, still building their ad-supported audiences.
  • Prime Video’s forced opt-in model (ads by default, opt-out via premium tier) is creating distinct adoption dynamics versus Netflix’s voluntary ad-tier model.

Kent and Goodman concluded that ad-supported models are “a bedrock of the future of video,” enabling both consumer affordability and service profitability.

  1. Looking Ahead: 2026 Research Roadmap

Jennifer Kent closed by previewing Parks Associates’ 2026 research roadmap, which will explore:

  • Generative AI in entertainment
  • Connected privacy and data security
  • Ad-supported streaming and skinny bundles
  • Evolving consumer preferences around creative formats (e.g., micro dramas, interactive content).

She reiterated that Parks Associates’ data-driven insights remain essential for companies navigating the complex streaming ecosystem, where service evolution, monetization strategy, and user behavior converge.

Summary Takeaways

  • SVOD growth is slowing; profitability and retention now drive strategy.
  • Ad-based tiers are critical revenue engines across both new and mature platforms.
  • Smart TV OSes are emerging as the new consumer gateways, reshaping both ad and device ecosystems.
  • Short-form and micro drama formats reflect generational shifts toward vertical, mobile, and social viewing.
  • Bundling partnerships (e.g., Charter–Hulu) demonstrates a new approach to countering cord cutting.