Netflix Tops U.S. OTT Video Providers

Parks Associates has raked its top 10 over-the-top (OTT) subscription video on demand (SVOD) services based on number of subscribers, with Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) as the top subscriber service and three of the 10 services on the list focused on sports content. The research house says more than 25% of OTT video [http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/video.html] services in the U.S. market today came out in 2015, and 40% of services were launched within the last two years.

Parks Associates' top 10 OTT services by subscriber volume are based upon reported figures and estimates from the research house's OTT Video Market Tracker using consumer surveys, network traffic data, and service provider information. Parks' top 10 are:

1. Netflix
2. Amazon Video
3. Hulu
4. MLB.TV
5. WWE Network
6. HBO Now
7. Crunchyroll
8. NFL Game Pass
9. The Blaze
10. SlingTV

"The number of new services and continued growth for many existing services show the vitality of the OTT video services market in the U.S.," wrote Brett Sappington, Parks' director of research. "While Netflix holds a substantial lead, new and emerging OTT services are establishing their own place in the market."

Sappington noted that Netflix continues to lead the U.S. market in subscriber volume, but Hulu has escalated its efforts to bulk up the subscription side of its services with the addition of new content and an advertising-free subscription tier. After only a few months following its launch, HBO Now is sixth, while Sling TV is also in the top 10 following its launch at the beginning of 2015.

Among sports services, MLB.TV has peaked following the end of the 2015 World Series, and NFL Game Pass is going strong midway through the new NFL season. In contrast, the WWE Network is resisting the seasonality common to other sports OTT video services and continues to add subscribers.

"Importantly, the market for OTT video services is just getting started," Sappington wrote. "With several offering new, original content and Internet giants like Yahoo! purchasing broadcast rights to major sporting events, more consumers will look to OTT video services in the future. The key for the industry will be to package, market, and monetize these services in ways that will drive big money and big business."

Other OTT research from Parks indicates:

• 58% of U.S. broadband households have used at least one OTT video service in the past 30 days.
• More than 25% of households used two or more OTT video services in the past 30 days.
• 59% of U.S. broadband households subscribe to an OTT video service subscription with a monthly fee.