Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Jan 21, 2016 13:05:49 GMT -6
variety.com/2016/digital/news/roku-app-charts-1201685044/
Standalone Streaming Services Far More Popular On Roku Than TV Everywhere Apps
HBO’s decision to offer its programming via a standalone streaming service seems to be paying off: The network’s HBO Now app is now the fourth-most-popular third-party app on Roku streaming devices, according to new data released by Shodan, a search engine for internet-connected devices.
HBO Now’s app is trailing Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, and is closely followed by Showtime’s standalone video service. However, another category of content services is notably amiss from the top 10 of most-installed third-party apps: TV Everywhere services. HBO’s own HBO Now service ranks 15th, FoxNow comes in at number 19, and WatchESPN even ranks 22nd.
Roku itself doesn’t release any app popularity ratings, and a spokesperson didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment Thursday. The Roku website lists what it calls popular apps for movies and TV shows, but the the listings seem to be heavily influenced by the company’s commercial arrangements with content providers.
One example: Roku lists NBC’s TV Everywhere app as one of its “most popular streaming channels.” Shodan’s data shows that NBC’s app is in fact ranking 74th among third-party apps, which makes it less popular that apps from TED, AcornTV and the Wall Street Journal.
Shodan acquired its insights by querying Roku devices directly connected to the internet. Shodan founder John Matherly stated on Reddit that the company’s sample size was about 1600 devices. That may sound small, but actually is a statistically relevant sample, considering that Roku has about 7.5 million monthly active accounts.
There are however two big caveats: For one, the install base is only a rough indicator for actual use. Some Roku owners may decide to install an app, but then never actually use it. Secondly, Roku devices come with a number of apps pre-installed, which is again often based on commercial agreements between the company and app publishers. However, users are free to uninstall any app, and replace it with any other app from Roku’s 3000+ app collection.
In the end, consumers can only use apps that they have installed on their devices. And by that measure, TV Everywhere apps don’t seem to be doing nearly as well as standalone streaming services.
Standalone Streaming Services Far More Popular On Roku Than TV Everywhere Apps
HBO’s decision to offer its programming via a standalone streaming service seems to be paying off: The network’s HBO Now app is now the fourth-most-popular third-party app on Roku streaming devices, according to new data released by Shodan, a search engine for internet-connected devices.
HBO Now’s app is trailing Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, and is closely followed by Showtime’s standalone video service. However, another category of content services is notably amiss from the top 10 of most-installed third-party apps: TV Everywhere services. HBO’s own HBO Now service ranks 15th, FoxNow comes in at number 19, and WatchESPN even ranks 22nd.
Roku itself doesn’t release any app popularity ratings, and a spokesperson didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment Thursday. The Roku website lists what it calls popular apps for movies and TV shows, but the the listings seem to be heavily influenced by the company’s commercial arrangements with content providers.
One example: Roku lists NBC’s TV Everywhere app as one of its “most popular streaming channels.” Shodan’s data shows that NBC’s app is in fact ranking 74th among third-party apps, which makes it less popular that apps from TED, AcornTV and the Wall Street Journal.
Shodan acquired its insights by querying Roku devices directly connected to the internet. Shodan founder John Matherly stated on Reddit that the company’s sample size was about 1600 devices. That may sound small, but actually is a statistically relevant sample, considering that Roku has about 7.5 million monthly active accounts.
There are however two big caveats: For one, the install base is only a rough indicator for actual use. Some Roku owners may decide to install an app, but then never actually use it. Secondly, Roku devices come with a number of apps pre-installed, which is again often based on commercial agreements between the company and app publishers. However, users are free to uninstall any app, and replace it with any other app from Roku’s 3000+ app collection.
In the end, consumers can only use apps that they have installed on their devices. And by that measure, TV Everywhere apps don’t seem to be doing nearly as well as standalone streaming services.