Blog articles from 11/2022

The vast majority (83%) of US internet households now subscribe to one or more OTT streaming services. Coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of households subscribing to four or more such services tripled from 2019 (7%) to 2020 (22%), and more than doubled again in 2021 (46%) before slowing in 2022 (50%). This saturation is partially due to the rise of new, strong competitors such as HBO Max and Disney+ at the upper end of the market. In addition, the growth in...

Apple’s announcement today regarding its deal with MLS (Major League Soccer) reveals a huge partnership that will play out over 10 years, valued at $2.5 billion .  Launching Feb 1, the MLS Season Pass from Apple will offer MLS fans every live match plus access to all postseason games, with no blackout dates for $14.99 a month or $99 per season. For Apple+ subscribers, the discounted rate of $12.99 a month and $79 per season is offered.   Prior to the 2020 OTT...

Apple’s announcement today regarding its deal with MLS (Major League Soccer) reveals a huge partnership that will play out over 10 years, valued at $2.5 billion. Launching Feb 1, the MLS Season Pass from Apple will offer MLS fans every live match plus access to all post season, with no blackout dates for $14.99 a month or $99 per season. For Apple+ subscribers, the discounted rate of $12.99 a month and $79 per season is offered. Prior to the 2020 OTT streaming boom, the bulk of...

Before the rise of connected devices, the product manual was typically the only resource available for users to solve product problems themselves. With the rise of home internet, self-service evolved to include options such as FAQ pages and support chat bots on product and service websites. Support forums and user-generated or expert-generated video tutorials on YouTube are also commonplace. These resources help users with general issues, but do not diagnose a user’s specific issue. The...

Wi-Fi is ubiquitous in US internet households, and consumers rely now more than ever on reliable, high-performing connectivity at home. However, consumers continue to experience problems with range issues and loss of connectivity. At the same time, security dealers are increasingly integrating Wi-Fi devices into security systems, responding to growing consumer demand for video doorbells, network cameras, and many other Wi-Fi smart home devices. Yet, dealers are not in full, end-to-end...

The future for the security industry, whether serving the consumer, small-to-medium business (SMB), or commercial market lies in add-on services and the ability to bring new systems to market with easy installation, various monitoring options, and extended value. For the consumer market, Parks Associates research of 10,000 internet households shows every add-on service tested received more than 60% of security owners having interest. Fire is a no brainer, but the strength of PERS...

Join leading industry executives and analysts at Parks Associates’ interactive Smart Energy Summit virtual session “ Distributed Energy and New Value: Shifting from a Centralized Grid ”  on November 17 at 11:00 AM CT for insights addressing how the industry is working to educate consumers on the potential for energy savings, the value of connected devices, how to be active participants in energy efficiency, and the transformation of the energy grid to be decentralized and...

Join Parks Associates’ virtual session " Smart Spaces: Apartments, Hospitality, and Community Living ," on Thursday, November 17 at 2:00 PM CT for insights addressing the role of Wi-Fi and broadband in buildings, access and control systems, safety and security risk mitigation, energy management platforms, systems integration, and smart lighting. Panels and speakers include: State of PropTech: Apartments, Hospitality and Commercial Buildings...