Plex launches free live TV channels
Plex just added to its arsenal of media offerings by providing more than 80 linear channels to its existing free streaming service. This is distinct from the company’s already available “over-the-air” TV and DVR feature, which requires a digital antenna and tuner. Indeed, the new Live TV service does not require any hardware or setup. Further, its ability to integrate with the OTA and DVR offering provider users with a unique new option.
The NPD Take:
- As the competition for free streaming video increases it will become increasingly important for each service to differentiate. That can be done through exclusive content and features such as Plex’ OTA and DVR offerings.
- Plex reaches a different audience than current free streaming services. Their user is more affluent and tech savvy. That will help generate strong early usage but also require a broadening of their reach to sustain long term growth.
Guide me to free
The folks over at Roku just launched some fresh new features including a free live TV guide. The guide lets you browse over 100 free live streaming channels with a familiar and convenient guide in The Roku Channel. It looks and feels much like a traditional cable TV guide just without all of the bells and whistles that have been added over the years. The guide integrates programming from sources such as Pluto TV and Xumo and presents them to the viewer in a manner that makes it easy to channel surf (again).
The NPD Take:
- Old school is new school, we’re seeing the rise of the traditional TV guide as OEMs and content distributors alike realize browsing works.
- TV guide UI feature enhancements will likely come next, it’s pretty bare bones right now.
Sorry cable, I got to go
AT&T just announced Q2 results and among them were some staggering premium TV loses that amounted to a net reduction of 886k subscribers. Positively, AT&T TV gains help offset some of the video losses. The company attributed this to COVID-19, competition and a marketing focus on high-value customers that generated fewer gross adds. During this same period streaming services and transactional video providers were seeing dramatic gains in viewership, unfortunately the country’s largest pay TV operators didn’t get the same benefit.
The NPD Take:
- Nearly all of the data we’ve seen, including the AT&T earnings report, points to COVID-19 accelerating the existing trends in home video.
- Continued success with HBO Max will be critical as viewers transition to SVOD and AVOD offerings.