Roku growth continues
Roku grew active accounts in Q1 2022 to 61.3m, while streaming hours also increased 14% YoY to 20.9 billion, resulting in an additional 1.4 billion hours over Q4 2021. Roku recently reached a licensing agreement with A&E networks to expand content and closed its first theatrical film output deal with Lionsgate for upcoming releases through 2024. Roku also announced it has partnered with private equity company Apollo Global Management to make a joint bid for a piece of premium cable brand Starz.
The NPD Take:
- Roku remains the leading streaming device with strong and continued engagement, in part due to its ease of use.
- The increased investment and partnerships will continue to bolster engagement on the device making it a go-to platform for existing and new customers.
As does Paramount+
Paramount Global reported a total gain of 6.3 million subscribers across its Paramount+, Showtime and other OTT brands, reaching 62 million customers at the end of Q1. This was driven by NFL Playoff games in January and original shows including Halo, 1883 and Star Trek Picard. Paramount+ which officially launched in March 2021, had one of its biggest growth quarters yet, adding 6.8 million customers and reaching nearly 40 million subscribers since inception. On the ad-supported side, Paramount+'s Pluto TV grew its subscriber count to 68 million, up from just over 64m at the end of 2021 and 56m at the end of Q3.
The NPD Take:
- Paramount+ continues to grow its subscriber base, primarily driven by live sports and original content.
Peacock’s movie deal, next day streaming and original content plans
Peacock made several announcements this week. First, they signed a multiyear movie output deal with Lionsgate for all theatrically-released Lionsgate films, starting with the studio’s 2022 slate. The agreement brings movies exclusively to Peacock and NBCUniversal networks for their Pay 2 window, starting in 2024. Peacock also announced it will feature next-day streaming of shows currently airing on Bravo, including The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Top Chef months ahead of a previously announced September timeline for next-day streaming. Subscribers to Peacock’s premium tier will have next-day access to currently running shows. Lastly, Peacock announced three upcoming original movies scheduled to premiere on the service in 2023: Shooting Stars, Praise This, and The Killer. Each movie is part of the previously announced collaboration with Universal Pictures to produce several films made exclusively for Peacock.
The NPD Take:
- Peacock continues to expand its content offering with premium movies and original content which could attract new customers.
- Next day show availability will likely attract cord-cutters and Hulu customers as these shows are no longer available on that service.