WWE has been at the forefront of the media industry’s attempts to establish a business providing programming straight to viewers, without an intermediary like cable or satellite networks, while still maintaining lucrative TV deals. The company made all its content, including live events, available on the internet to paid subscribers in February 2014. Last year, WWE Network was the fifth-largest streaming service by subscriber volume, beating even HBO Now, according to Parks Associates.
Only Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Major League Baseball’s MLB.TV ranked higher.
“WWE was making a long-term bet that they could grow subscribership online and revenues online better than they were doing with pay TV,” said Brett Sappington, senior director of research overseeing entertainment services at Parks Associates, who spoke before the earnings were released. “It was a big risk, a big bet. It looks like it’s paying off.”
From the article "WWE Gets Streaming Boost As Wrestling Fans Subscribe" by Brooke Fox.
One of the secrets of Roku's success has been its expansion beyond its roots as a set top box maker (a term the company tries to avoid). To do this, Roku CEO Anthony Wood built a loyal customer follow...
In last few years, the conversation around cutting the cord has gained considerable traction in the U.S. Cord-cutting refers to the pattern of viewers canceling their DTH (direct-to-home) or cable TV...
Even more pertinent, according to a survey compiled by Parks Associates, 55% of cable subscribers state that live sports is an important factor in why they are staying with expensive cable packages. T...
So far, Roku has been able to keep its lead as the top video streaming device maker. In May, for instance, research firm Parks Associates said Roku was the market leader in the Internet video streamin...
