Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

The Triple-Play Bundle Is Dead, But This Surprisingly Popular Bundle Just Might Stop Cable Companies' Bleeding

Market research outfit Parks Associates offers up a glimpse of the bundle's penetration: As of the end of the first quarter of this year, 19% of U.S. broadband subscribers also enjoy wireless/mobile service offered by the same provider.

It's not a lot, admittedly. But put it in perspective. Charter's Spectrum only began offering mobile phone service in mid-2018. It now serves nearly 2.7 million mobile customers. Comcast's Xfinity Mobile platform only launched in mid-2017, and it's already signed up 3.1 million wireless subscribers. The portion of domestic broadband customers who have bundled their high-speed internet service with a mobile plan has grown from only around 11% in early 2019, according to Parks Associates' data, to the aforementioned current figure of 19%.

Parks Associates indicates the average cost of a broadband/mobile combo is $128 per month. With stand-alone broadband service costing an average of $64 per month, the other $64 of the combo's total cost is on par with a typical wireless service plan's monthly cost. Although the mobile service arena is highly competitive, at least we know that all the major names in the mobile telecom business are profitable. Given how the cable television industry has been on the defensive for years, conversely, it's not always clear if there's still any real profit to be gleaned by being in the business.

From the article, "The Triple-Play Bundle Is Dead, But This Surprisingly Popular Bundle Just Might Stop Cable Companies' Bleeding" by James Brumley. 

Previously In The News

Amazon to Ban Sale of Apple TV, Google Chromecast Streaming Devices

Amazon, Apple, Google and Roku devices made up 86% of all media-streaming products sold to U.S. households with broadband in 2014, according to an August report by Parks Associates. An estimated 86 mi...

Pay TV Dilemma: Cord-Snippers, -Shavers, -Nevers

The rise of cord-nevers is a real threat to the pay-TV industry, but the number of cord-cutters is growing, too. Similar findings from two research firms illuminate the changing nature of consumers...

Connected TV Takes Center Stage in Internet of Things at Home

As live TV viewing continues its decline, so-called over-the-top video continues to grow, according to the study TV Everywhere and the New World of OTT by Parks Associates. Global OTT video service...

Roku Benefits From Streaming's Rise

More than a fifth (21%) of U.S. broadband households with a connected electronics device are using it for streaming media, up from 12% last year. Moreover, usage of connected gaming consoles and DVRs...