OTT Video Stacking Can Drive Broadband Upgrades, Says Parks

Consumers’ broadband upgrade plans suggest many households consider certain COVID-19-related changes “permanent,” said Parks Associates analyst Steve Nason Wednesday, citing over-the-top video service stacking as a contributor. Broadband usage is higher for half of U.S. broadband households since the start of the pandemic, reported Parks, saying in Q3, 24% of fixed broadband homes planned to upgrade their speed in the next six months, up 6 points sequentially. Some 45% of broadband households subscribe to three or more OTT services, and many are planning to add new ones such as Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max and Peacock as a permanent part of their OTT menus, beyond the “Big 3” of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. “Many traditional pay-TV subscribers are migrating to online pay-TV offerings or standalone OTT services,” Nason said. “Traditional providers, who still comprise the majority of the pay-TV market, have to continually seek ways to integrate online video services into their offerings either through homegrown solutions or external partnerships.”