The firm, which conducted the research in association with digital video firm Bitmovin, paints a picture in which the number and type of devices that are used for streaming are growing. That will have an impact on how the ecosystem evolves.
Parks says that the high level of ownership is due to increased ownership of smart TVs and streaming media players and steady ownership of gaming consoles. The researchers found that more than 80% of broadband households have at least one streaming service and, perhaps more significantly, essentially half (49%) have four or more.
“Consumer adoption of multiple streaming video services may slow, but their comfort with streaming content will persist—the connected home is now permanently a multiplatform environment,” said Paul Erickson, the Director of Research for Parks Associates, in a press release.
“Reaching Today’s Video Audiences: Platform Diversity and ROI,” also found that 56% of broadband households own a smart TV and that in more than half of those households that TV is the device used most often to stream videos. The overall impact of increased viewership and connected TVs is to drive up the number of hours per week that video is consumed, the firm says.
In addition, the researchers found that:
Parks researchers suggest that the number of different platforms that must be supported when a new device is launched makes it important for developers to consider costs, ongoing tests and support, and other factors.
This has an impact on service providers as well. The more platforms in use, the more important a well-conceived and delivered customer experience is present. There’s more margin for error.
