Top ten list, compiled prior to Disney+ and Apple TV+ launches, shows gains for CBS All Access and Sling TV as the top vMVPD in the US

Parks Associates, ahead of the upcoming Future of Video conference in LA next week, released its updated list of the top 10 US subscription over-the-top (OTT) video services. This list is based on estimated number of subscribers through October 2019, prior to the launch of Disney+ and Apple TV+, and includes paid subscriptions.

Parks Associates notes CBS All Access made the biggest move from 2018 to 2019, jumping from eighth place to fifth this year. MLB.TV dropped from sixth to eight place, despite having gained subscribers since 2018. Sling TV has stayed in the top ten with more than 2.5 million subscribers, retaining its position as the top vMVPD service in the US. Other vMVPD services include Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and AT&T Now (previously DIRECTV Now).

Top 10 US Subscription OTT Video Services

1.             Netflix

2.             Amazon Prime Video

3.             Hulu (SVOD)

4.             HBO NOW

5.             CBS All Access

6.             STARZ

7.             Showtime

8.             MLB.TV

9.             ESPN+

10.           Sling TV

“Competition in live streaming services is intensifying as several big brand names are competing for a small but growing slice of the OTT subscription base,” said Parks Associates. “Consumers continue to sign up for multiple OTT video services. If this trend holds, many services can continue to grow as the market grows. However, a slowdown will suggest that consumers are finally drawing the line on the amount they will spend each month.”

Parks Associates will explore new strategies in OTT, pay-TV, and video services at the second annual Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media, December 9-11 in Marina del Rey, California. The conference features keynotes from AT&T, Pluto TV, Verizon, and Viacom, with sessions presenting in-depth consumer research and industry insight on OTT services, the value of content, and best strategies for building successful video services for today’s connected consumers, including the impact of new entrants such as Disney+.

The Walt Disney Company announced it had reached 10 million subscribers upon initial launch, which would put its Disney+ service fourth on the list, ahead of HBO Now, according to Parks Associates. “Their entry, along with Apple TV+ and other direct-to-consumer services upcoming in 2020, has been a major disruptor to the OTT space and will require all players from top to bottom to ensure they are delivering unique value to their subscribers in order to retain their base.”

Parks Associates’ OTT Video Market Tracker tracks the content offerings, business strategies, and subscription numbers for OTT services in North America. Additional data from these services:

• 71% of US broadband households have at least one OTT entertainment product, such as a smart TV or streaming media player.
• Nearly three-quarters of US broadband households now subscribe to an online video service.
• 49% of recent OTT subscribers signed up through the service’s website; 33% through the service’s app; and 11% through a cable or satellite TV provider.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com

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