Parks Associates has released its third quarter update of its list of the ten top OTT video services. In order, the top ten are Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Apple TV+, CBS All Access, Showtime and Starz.
Parks says that new entrants such as HBO Max, Apple TV+, and Disney+ have changed the top ten list, though the top three providers remain stable. The firm adds that NBCUniversal’s Peacock is gaining in paid subscribers, but its base still is mainly those on its free ad-supported tier.
Top OTT Video Services
The category may be on the cusp of change as people become more comfortable with cord cutting and offerings become more varied. “For many years, the Big 3 in OTT, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, have ruled the top of the subscription-based OTT service space,” Parks’ Research Director Steve Nason said in a press release. “However, with newer entrants and expanded offerings, that trend may be about to change. The Big 3 and their main challengers have gone to market with varying content and distribution strategies, with the same goal in mind: reach elusive consumers with a compelling content offering and user experience to be a foundational essential service in an OTT subscriber’s service stack.”
Parks says that 78% of US broadband households subscriber to at least one OTT service. This is an increase of seven percent from last year. The firm’s “The Next ‘Big 3’ in OTT” – which was written by Nason – looks at new recently launched SVOD services and their potential impact. He says that that Disney+ reported 10 million subscribers when it launched and has been in fourth place on the list for almost a year. That, Nason says, indicates how difficult it will be to move into the top three. Success will be dependent on partnerships such as the one between HBO Max and Amazon in which the service will be included with Amazon Fire TV devices.
The top ten list is based on estimates of North American subscribers through September as tracked by the firm’s OTT Video Market Tracker.