TV Everywhere services in North America will be available to 81 percent of North American pay-TV subscribers this year, according to a new report.
Parks Associates’ latest study also found that TV Everywhere services were an effective tool in reducing customer churn, as well as attracting younger subscribers. Overall, 40 percent of U.S. broadband consumers aged 18-34 found TV Everywhere services very appealing.
Starting with Comcast in 2009, telco, satellite and cable providers in North America have been among the most aggressive in the world in terms of rolling out multi-screen services.
On a worldwide scale, Parks said service providers were starting to expand on their multi-screen service offerings due to competition from online video sources, the entrance of other operators, and the dramatic increase of online and mobile video usage over the past three years.
In Western Europe, 40 percent of subscribers can receive a multi-screen service from their current pay-TV provider. Early TV Everywhere adopters abroad include Sky, Ziggo and Orange.
In Eastern Europe, 12 percent of pay-TV subscribers can receive a TV Everywhere service from their current provider, with many operators deploying this feature as part of new IP-based systems.
“Service providers realize they need to be the consumer’s primary source of video content on all platforms,” said Brett Sappington, senior analyst at Parks Associates. “In North America and Western Europe, TV Everywhere has moved rapidly from a handful of offerings to widespread availability. Today, operators from all sectors – telco, cable and satellite – now offer online access to VOD or live TV, with several adding support for smartphones and tablets.”