Industry report examines device and technology platform strategies for large players Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, Roku, Samsung, and Sony

New research from Parks Associates finds 67% of US broadband households own and use at least one internet-connected video device, either a smart TV, streaming media player, internet-connected gaming console, or connected PVR/DVR. The firm’s Connected Entertainment Ecosystems: Competition & Cooperation notes that these devices get plenty of use but also have lengthening replacement cycles, which is driving manufacturers to explore new strategies, including software and service offerings, exclusive hardware-content bundles, and open ecosystems. The challenges and thin margins in the CE are also narrowing the field of competitors.

“The connected entertainment space is moving towards a smartphone model, in which a handful of platform players control the operating system, UX, and consumer access to services and features,” said Kristen Hanich, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates. “These platform players stand to win big as consumers increasingly choose to sign up for their OTT service subscriptions through storefronts like Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, or Roku Channel Premium Subscriptions.”

Connected Entertainment Ecosystems: Competition & Cooperation profiles the product ecosystems and market strategies for Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, Roku, Samsung, and Sony. It analyzes benefits and drawbacks of closed versus open device and app ecosystems and offers insights on consumer expectations for their devices as content consumption shifts toward streaming service options.

“Major changes in content distribution and consumption are affecting the CE market, notably the rise of OTT services and decline in pay-TV subscriptions,” Hanich said. “The increasing fragmentation in the content services market means there’s no single path to reach consumers. These factors, along with the consumer demand to access their content when and where they are, are pushing the connected entertainment market slowly but steadily in favor of open ecosystems where consumers can access most, if not all, of the services they want on the device they want regardless of which platform they decide to use.”

The report notes that in 2019 alone, 6.4 million US consumers cut the cord on their traditional pay-TV service, transitioning to OTT streaming and/or broadcast television, both of which continue to rise in adoption and usage.

For information about the Connected Entertainment Ecosystems: Competition & Cooperation, contact [email protected]. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific research data, please contact Rosey Ulpino at [email protected], 972.996.0233.

About Parks Associates: Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com
 

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