A La Carte Channels/Services Provide Credible Threat to Pay TV
BOSTON, Dec. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In the ever-evolving TV space, over the top (OTT) 'a la carte' TV channels such as HBO Now, CBS All Access and/or services such as Sony Vue TV and Sling TV, present a new threat to pay TV. Providing a video on demand service via the internet, subscribers can simply pay for channels they want to watch instead of being required to pay for several channels they do not, similar to cable/satellite TV subscriptions. A new user evaluation from the Connected Home UX (CHX) group at Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) has found that Services such as Sling TV, offer a cheaper alternative to watch live TV, the ability to choose which packages to add on, no contract (cancel at any time), no installation or set up fees and the ability to watch on demand, on any device.
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Consumers surveyed in the US and UK also found Sling TV's set-up process easy and intuitive and its TV menu clean and easy to use. Device incentives such as 50% off Roku or a free Chromecast to encourage service adoption are appealing to many. However, current pain points of the Sling TV service include the need to offer more channels to choose from; the inability to watch the service on two different devices simultaneously; no access to local channels such as ABC, NBC and CBS, etc.; and the limited number of devices that the service can actually be used on - access is currently only via streaming or personal device and there is no smart TV app.
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Taryn Tulay, Senior Analyst and report author, commented, "Recommendations for Sling TV which would offer more value-added features include offering users the ability to choose which channels they want to bundle making the service truly 'a la carte'; providing consistent functionality such as pause/fast-forward/rewind for all channels/programs and regardless of live broadcast; and allowing users to navigate the TV menu via personal devices (i.e. smartphone/tablet app) as a touchscreen is easier and more familiar."
Continued Tulay, "Participants also considered the 7 day free trial to be too short; instead offering a minimum of 30 days would encourage more adoption to the service as it would allow users to truly understand its features and functionality before signing up."
Diane O'Neill, Director, User Experience Innovation Practice, added, "A la carte TV is a credible threat to cable/satellite TV. Through the implementation of recommendations such as those listed above, these types of services will become more in line with traditional cable/satellite packages and perhaps be more compelling due to cost effectiveness and importantly, the ability to remove content that users consider to be of no relevance to them."
About Strategy Analytics
Strategy Analytics, Inc. provides the competitive edge with advisory services, consulting and actionable market intelligence for emerging technology, mobile and wireless, digital consumer and automotive electronics companies. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, Strategy Analytics delivers insights for enterprise success. www.StrategyAnalytics.com
About Connected Home UX
The Connected Home UX group forms part of the User Experience Innovation Practice (UXIP) at Strategy Analytics. Focusing on user behaviors, motivations and interests within in-vehicle, mobile device, connected home and media & services research areas, UXIP helps clients meet consumer needs, develop usable solutions and deliver compelling user experiences. Extensive expertise and highly experienced in large-scale survey work, in-depth interviews, focus groups and observational sessions, UXIP's research methodology allows strategic user-centric analysis on the potential for new technologies that would otherwise be unavailable. Providing actionable insight, go-to-market strategies and business recommendations, UXIP is a leading supplier of consumer knowledge to the technology industry. Click here for more information
Press Contacts
US Contact: Paul Brown, +1 617 614 0723, pbrown@strategyanalytics.com
European Contact: Diane O'Neill, +44(0) 1908 423 669, doneill@strategyanalytics.com
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