The market’s enthusiasm for WWE stems largely from its lucrative TV contracts, combined with its early success in direct-to-consumer streaming TV apps. In 2014 the company made a risky move, deciding essentially to cannibalize its traditional pay-per-view business. Instead of paying their cable companies one-time fees to see WWE’s marquee events—say, $44.99 for the Royal Rumble—fans would be encouraged to subscribe to a streaming video service, the WWE Network, and pay a monthly fee. After some early turbulence, the move is paying off. Roughly 1.5 million people now hand over $9.99 a month for the WWE Network, making it the 11th-most-popular streaming video service in the U.S., according to Parks Associates, and the second-most-popular, after Major League Baseball’s, in the “sports-related” category.
From the article "WWE Is Laying the Smackdown on the World" by Felix Gillette and Kim Bhasin.
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...
