An updated top 10 list for subscription over-the-top (OTT) video services based on number of subscribers was released by Parks Associates, and the “OTT Video Market Tracker” says that Netflix retains its top position while Sling TV, Showtime and CBS moved up or entered the list over the past year. That list is as follows:
- Netflix
- Amazon Video (Amazon Prime)
- Hulu
- MLB.TV
- WWE Network
- Sling TV
- HBO Now
- Crunchyroll
- Showtime
- CBS All Access
According to the research firm, the figures and estimates in the report are based on multiple consumer surveys, network traffic data and reported OTT video service provider information.
“Importantly, all of these services have increased their subscriber base over the past year. The top five OTT services have stayed consistent, primarily through maintaining or growing the massive user and subscriber bases that they have built over the past several years,” Brett Sappington, senior director of research at Parks Associates, says. “Showtime and CBS All Access have made a significant push into the OTT space. Their recognized brands and popular content, including Showtime’s ‘Homeland’ and ‘Ray Donovan,’ have provided them with a good basis for building an OTT service. Sling TV has continued to evolve its offering, testing new options and adding several new channels in order to grow its customer base.”
In 2014, the computer was said to be used more than the TV by OTT subs, but the research indicates that the TV is now the dominant OTT screen.
“We are clearly seeing OTT video moving to the television,” Sappington observes. “OTT users watch OTT services on their TV screens between 17-20 days per month, much more than platforms such as a PC, smartphone or tablet.”
The research firm also reports that its research show 63 percent of U.S. broadband households subscribing to an OTT video service as of Q3 2016, up from 57 percent at the beginning of 2015. Most major OTT video services are said to receive a positive NPS (Net Promoter Score). For example, Netflix’s NPS in 1Q 2016 was 38. By comparison, the overall NPS for U.S. pay TV among its customers is -38, according to Parks Associates.
