New analysis shows the winners and losers in streaming TV this year - and it's good news for Disney as it enters the battle for subscribers
- A new Parks Associates analysis shows the top 10 over-the-top (OTT) video services in the US in 2018.
- Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu remain at the top from last year, but YouTube Red got bumped off the top 10 by DirecTV Now.
- HBO Now, Starz, Showtime, and CBS All Access got a bump this year because of the quality of original content, according to Parks Associates senior director of research Brett Sappington.
- "This pattern suggests new services such as WarnerMedia's DC Universe and the forthcoming streaming service from Disney could achieve success quickly," he said.
A new analysis from market-research company Parks Associates shows who is winning and losing in the contest among video services in 2018. The report, released Wednesday, is based on estimated number of subscribers for each service, and while the top three are the same as last year, the rest of the list showed a shift.
Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu remain the big three, but premium cable channels that have gone direct-to-consumer in recent years like HBO gained ground.
A new addition this year is DirecTV Now, AT&T's primary digital TV package, which bumped YouTube Red out of the top 10.
READ MORE: Disney faces major hurdles as it takes on Netflix, and needs to figure out Hulu fast
HBO, Showtime, Starz, and CBS All Access got a bump this year, which Parks Associates senior director of research Brett Sappington attributed to the services' original programming.
"HBO, Starz, Showtime, and CBS All Access demonstrate the powerful attractiveness of original content through series like [HBO's] 'Game of Thrones' and [CBS'] 'Star Trek: Discovery,'" Sappington said. "This pattern suggests new services such as WarnerMedia's DC Universe and the forthcoming streaming service from Disney could achieve success quickly."
Disney is expected the enter the streaming war in a big way next year with its own service that will include original "Star Wars" and Marvel TV shows, and DC Universe launched this year as a service for DC Comics fans, with original series and a library of digital comic books.
The 2018 top 10 subscription over-the-top (OTT) video services are below:
- Netflix
- Amazon Video
- Hulu
- HBO Now
- Starz
- MLB.TV
- Showtime
- CBS All Access
- Sling TV
- DIRECTV Now
And here is the 2017 list:
- Netflix
- Amazon Video
- Hulu
- MLB.TV
- HBO Now
- Starz
- YouTube Red
- Showtime
- CBS All Access
- Sling TV