Mobile screens essential for live TV services
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Joseph O'Halloran
| 19 April 2018

The continual expansion of display real estate, faster data speeds, specialised data plans and improved video displays present a real opportunity for live TV streaming services such as Sling TV to be marketed as mobile offers, says research from Strategy Analytics.

In its report, Sling TV Hits 2.2 Million Subscribers: How UX will Determine Future Growth, the analyst says it has identified key factors in the success of Sling TV and also in consumer motivations to replace traditional pay-TV services. It adds that smartphones should be prioritised as an alternative screen to consume live TV services and not seen merely as an ‘on-the-go’ complement.

Strategy Analytics says that in compiling its report it identified a number of key trends, principally ‘a rejuvenated’ focus on mobile viewing, particularly with 5G, from companies such as Facebook and Snapchat in addition to mobile operators such as Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile in the US. The analyst strongly feels that live streaming TV will also be an important part of this evolution.

In addition, Strategy Analytics believes that mobile media enthusiasts, whether video or music, have grown accustomed to the instant gratification of streaming content on smartphones, particularly to consume new content. The analyst warns that failing to make a large impact on this space as a video streaming service will allow competitors to gain further market share. It also sees dedicated mobile apps as now able to create a starting point to capitalise on an existing customer base.

Strategy Analytics advises that developing a live TV service within an existing app will allow users to instantly access all types of content remotely. It notes that building from within like the case with Hulu will be key for live TV services such as Sling TV to generate a stronger mobile presence and ramp up subscriber bases.

“Sling TV is losing to a much bigger competitor, Hulu, mainly because of Hulu’s SVOD catalogue and history. Hulu has also incorporated its new live streaming TV service into its existing mobile app, thus enabling it to gather a different wave of subscribers from their existing, large subscriber base,” remarked Strategy Analytics associate director and report author Chris Dodge. “What really helps to drive mobile usage from YouTube, Hulu, and to a lesser extent DirecTV, are their existing dedicated mobile apps. Both Hulu and YouTube have very prominent mobile apps which are optimised for mobile viewing.”