INTERNET VIDEO STREAMING UP 100%
INTERNET VIDEO STREAMING: TV EVERYWHERE USE DOUBLES IN ONE YEAR
People who use TV Everywhere services apparently like them. So says the Adobe Digital Index. The market analyst says that for the third quarter of 2015, internet streaming of video through authenticated services was 102% higher than for the third quarter of 2014. Almost all of the consumption increase was among existing viewers.
TV Everywhere is an industry term for internet video streaming services through conventional cable and satellite systems. Subscribers can watch video content on mobile devices, and may not need dedicated cable TV boxes or satellite dishes. The viewer acquires the programming by entering an authentication code on his device. Most TV Everywhere services are add-ons to conventional subscription TV, heavy on premium movie and sports packages- though some, like Sling TV, are independent.
The Adobe Digital Index found that the tends in TV Everywhere use were mixed. While consumption among existing users more than doubled in one year, new subscriptions increased only 8%. This seems to indicate that adoption of such services by new viewers is beginning to stall.
The Adobe Digital Index report was based on 134 billion online video starts, 3.6 billion authentications of TV Everywhere involving providers for 99% of pay TV homes in the U.S. and Canada, and analysis of TVE content from more than 300 sites and apps, and 159 channels.
ADI’s chief analyst, Tamara Gaffney, said that the skyrocketing viewing rates among exiting users reflects the quality of TVE programming. The product is good, she said, and the content is highly varied. The massive usage increase in 2015 did not require any great “tent-pole” sports events such as the Olympics or the World Cup.
TV Everywhere got a big boost with Dish Network’s February launch of Sling TV. Unlike conventional cable and satellite TV services, Sling TV does not require long-term contracts or dedicated equipment, and its basic channel package costs only $20.00 per month, far less than a typical cable or satellite TV package. It requires only a reliable internet connection. The launch of Sling TV spurred other cable and satellite system operators to accelerate rollout of similar services. Now almost every cable or telecom system offers its own version.
(For TV Everywhere, or for any other TV, internet, phone, or home automation service, shop with Bundle Deals. Compare all providers and plans. Then order any service with just one phone call.)