Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

The State of Live Video 2017

To get an idea where live video will go in 2017, we spoke to two experts: Mark Peters, a partner with IBB Consulting Group, and Brett Sappington, senior director of research for Parks Associates.

Can Facebook stay on top of live video this year? Peters thinks it can. With its built-in audience checking in daily, and the ability to put videos directly in members’ feeds, it has a powerful advantage. Facebook doesn’t have to pull people in, because they’re already there. Expect Facebook to be a favorite of viewers and sports leagues this year.

Facebook Live quickly became the de facto leader in live streaming, rolling out the service first to celebrities and then to all Facebook users.

Brands, however, are another story. Brands love advertising on Facebook, but after a revelation in September when the industry learned Facebook had inflated its video performance numbers, buyers have been more determined to get solid stats about how many people are watching and for how long. Ever a closed garden, Facebook has so far resisted opening access to viewer data, something that likely won’t change in 2017.

“I don’t know how much they’ll open up. Facebook knows the value of the data. I think that Facebook is going to want to retain control of that to be able to monetize that,” Sappington says.

Live video will gain viewers on many different platforms this year. Peters sees 2016 as a foundation year for live streaming, with an explosion of different platforms waiting to show what they can do in 2017. Last year was about learning what works in terms of marketing and packaging. This year, networks and publishers know how to attract an audience. He expects more live sports deals along the lines of CBS All Access streaming the NFL. Amazon will stream a lot of high-end premium sports, although the leagues might be niche rather than mainstream. 

From the article "The State of Live Video 2017" by Troy Dreier.

Previously In The News

Cord cutting to carve $33.6B out of U.S. pay TV revenues by 2025

According to recent Parks Associates’ research, more than one-third of U.S. broadband households are cord-cutters who previously subscribed to traditional pay TV. That comes out to more than 38 millio...

63% Of Americans Unfamiliar With Virtual Reality; Less Than 6% Plan On Buying A Headset Soon

Despite 2016 seeing virtual reality break into the mainstream market, headset manufacturers such as Sony, Oculus and HTC still have a lot of work to do in order to educate the masses, according to a n...

Netflix Challengers: Are There Flies in the Ointment?

Parks Associates estimates that over the past five years, the number of SVOD services has more than doubled, to 271. And projections are that subscription streaming will grow at a faster clip than any...

Music streaming leads on smartphones

Streaming music is the most popular way consumers spend time on their smartphones, according to market research firm Parks Associates, significantly outpacing playing games and watching video clips....