Pay-TV operators are seeing the potential in TV Everywhere rollouts and have become more aggressive in getting their products out to consumers, a new study says.
Research from Parks Associates shows that by the middle of this year, some 81 percent of U.S. and Canadian pay-TV customers will have access to TV Everywhere services through their current providers.
The initiatives, which bring TV content to multiple screens like smartphones, tablets and personal computers, reduce churn and help operators attract younger consumers, who have shown increasing tendencies toward getting their entertainment from over-the-top sources like Netflix and Hulu.
"Service providers realize they need to be the consumer's primary source of video content on all platforms," said Senior Analyst at Parks Associates Brett Sappington. "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."
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has taken the early lead among MSOs, but other operators, like Cablevision (NYSE:CVC) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) have been even more aggressive. Both have launched iPad apps that allow live streaming of content from a user's TV to the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) tablets.
Telco Verizon (NYSE:VZ) meanwhile, said during its first quarter earnings call that TV Everywhere would be a priority for it this year.
For more:
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