Unlike seven years ago, the move pushed Netflix’s stock to new heights. The key, for Netflix’s management, was learning to raise prices without spooking subscribers—by doing so in small and infrequent doses.
“Any time a service increases its price, that change causes consumers to re-assess their perceived value of the service,” Brett Sappington, senior director of research at the firm Parks Associates, tells Quartz. “While most will continue as subscribers, some will conside ...read more
Netflix, at least publicly, isn’t concerned about account sharing. CEO Reed Hastings called it “a positive thing” at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Hastings argued that many of the “moochers”—most of whom are young people—go on to become paying subscribers once they get older and have money of their own to spend.
A recent report by Parks Associates estimated that the streaming video industry loses $500 million a year to mooching. Netflix declined to comment.
Apple TV—and to a lesser extent, Amazon Fire TV—may steal most headlines, but Chromecast outsold them both by a significant margin in 2014, according to Parks Associates. The $35 Chromecast dongle, of course, isn’t quite the same type of device as the Apple TV or the Fire TV, but they all share one crucial function: the ability to put your favorite streaming video apps on the best screen available (which is usually in your living room).
Apple TV—and to a lesser extent, Amazon Fire TV—may steal most headlines, but Chromecast outsold them both by a significant margin in 2014, according to Parks Associates. The $35 Chromecast dongle, of course, isn’t quite the same type of device as the Apple TV or the Fire TV, but they all share one crucial function: the ability to put your favorite streaming video apps on the best screen available (which is usually in your living room).
According to research firm Parks Associates, the Amazon Fire TV outsold the Apple TV last year, but both devices were beaten by the unsung leader of the streaming world, Roku. Roku, which makes only digital media devices and is not nearly the kind of omnipresent, global corporation that both Amazon and Apple are, has quietly carved out a large slice of the streaming market.
But it could soon lose its top spot if one or both of Apple’s or Amazon’s improved devices takes off. ...read more
It’s been two and a half years since Apple refreshed its set-top box, first released in 2007. In that time, Apple TV has languished while Roku continued expanding its content library and new players entered this space.
In fact, recent market share data from Parks Associates shows Google’s $35 streaming dongle, Chromecast (at 20%), is now second to Roku (29%), and ahead of Apple TV (17%) in the US. Not bad for something that only started shipping last summer.