Commentary

OTT Boxes Live Peacefully With MVPD

Over-the-top services can play nicely in the pay-TV services sandbox.

That’s the finding in a new GfK report on the use of digital media players like Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.

The research firm found that most users of such devices rely on them to complement rather than replace traditional pay TV. In fact, 64% of homes with a digital media player also subscribe to pay TV.

Consumers who own an OTT player are more likely to say they use them in addition to watching regular TV -- about 58% said as much this year, compared to 45% in the 2014 study on the topic. What’s more, the amount of consumers who consider a digital player as a replacement for regular TV has dipped from 40% in 2014 to 29% today.

The study also found that fewer consumers are chopping cable services due to their ownership of streaming boxes. The level has dropped from 17% to 13% in the same time frame.

The firm concludes that the role of the digital media player has expanded and evolved into a “viewing enhancement.

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