Opportunity for OTT Providers in New Video Ecosystem; Broadcast Content Is Key

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Since 2010, the percent of TV viewers who stream at least some of their TV content has risen from 15 percent at the beginning of 2010 to 57 percent in January 2016, and yet broadcast continues to deliver value. "Broadcast is alive, well and continues to deliver value in today's fragmented ecosystem," asserted Howard Horowitz, president of Horowitz Research, referring to findings from the firm's latest consumer data, "The Value of Broadcast Content in Today's Multiplatform World."

An Age of Disruption
"There is no denying that we are in an age of disruption," Horowitz asserted. "What we see, though, are two trends happening in parallel. Viewers' love of television is growing and, simultaneously, streaming is becoming increasingly commonplace. People are not moving to streaming for the sake of wanting to stream. They are moving to streaming because they want more access to the great content they love, and this is a key opportunity area."

In the annual State of OTT 2016 study, Horowitz takes a close look at the key market for over-the-top services: Viewers who spend at least 20 percent of their TV/video viewing time streaming content and who represent 47 percent of the TV viewing universe.

The study asked three critical questions:

• What features of a TV/video service are most important for you and your household?


• What channels are essential for you and your household?


• How interested would you be in an Internet-delivered bundle of your "essential" channels, assuming the right price? This package would also include a library of On Demand video content.

Seven in ten (71 percent) of Core Streamers report that access to broadcast networks is one of the top features they value in a TV/video service, along with access to cable entertainment (75 percent) and a wide variety of channels (74 percent). Furthering the case for the value of broadcast, ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC are the networks most-named as "essential" networks, with each of the big four broadcasters being named by between 44 to 51 percent Core Streamers; 67 percent name at least one of the four.

Internet-delivered Skinny Bundles
Notably, 75 percent of Core Streamers who have a multichannel subscription report being interested in replacing it with an Internet-delivered, linear, skinny bundle of only their "essential" networks, at the right price, which translates to 22 percent of total TV viewers.

"The future is bright for streaming services that can combine the advantages of video access anywhere, the content available on linear TV channels—particularly broadcast networks—and the library of content and user experience of current online subscription streaming services, whether delivered by traditional multichannel players or the new OTT players that are coming to market," Horowitz adds.