Virtual MVPDs Are Only a 'Secondary' Programming Source, Study Says
Relative to traditional pay TV services, virtual MVPD platforms are viewed by subscribers far more as "secondary or tertiary" sources of TV programming, according to a survey recently conducted by Aluma Connected TV Insights.
Aluma, which surveyed 2,023 adults in February and March, said that while 48% of traditional linear pay TV users identify their cable, satellite or telco video subscription as their primary source of TV programming, the same is true for only 23% of virtual pay TV service customers.
"This begs the question why they continue to pay for an MVPD service at all. Perhaps it’s the live sports that keep them from churning," said Aluma principal analyst Michael Greeson, who also noted that's a "diminishing advantage" with ESPN going over the top, and Disney, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery about launch their linear sports channels in a collective bundle.
"Little wonder Fubo is suing the threesome to halt the service's launch," Greeson added. "Without the live sports differentiator, this could be the final chapter of Fubo experiment, a service that has prided itself on having more live sports than its competitors."
