Parks Associates Reveals Top 10 U.S. Subscription OTT Services for 2019

Parks Associates has released its updated list of the top 10 U.S. subscription OTT video services, which continues to be anchored by Netflix.

The list is based on the estimated number of subscribers through October 2019, prior to the launch of Disney+ and Apple TV+, and includes paid subscriptions.

Netflix leads, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. HBO Now and CBS All Access round out the top five. The rest of the list, in consecutive order, features Starz, Showtime, MLB.TV, ESPN+ and Sling TV.

Parks Associates noted that CBS All Access made the biggest move from 2018 to 2019, from eighth place to fifth this year. MLB.TV dropped from sixth to eighth place, despite having gained subscribers since 2018. Sling TV has stayed in the top ten with more than 2.5 million subscribers, retaining its position as the top vMVPD service in the U.S.

“Competition in live streaming services is intensifying as several big brand names are competing for a small but growing slice of the OTT subscription base,” said Brett Sappington, senior research director and principal analyst at Parks Associates. “Consumers continue to sign up for multiple OTT video services. If this trend holds, many services can continue to grow as the market grows. However, a slowdown will suggest that consumers are finally drawing the line on the amount they will spend each month.”

“The Walt Disney Company announced it had reached 10 million subscribers upon initial launch, which would put its Disney+ service fourth on the list, ahead of HBO Now,” Sappington said. “Their entry, along with Apple TV+ and other direct-to-consumer services upcoming in 2020, has been a major disruptor to the OTT space and will require all players from top to bottom to ensure they are delivering unique value to their subscribers in order to retain their base.”