In the analyst’s investigation addressing strategies for MSOs and set-top box makers as markets adjust to high demand for streaming services, the Set-top Box Innovations and Trends report also found that almost half of US broadband households subscribe to two or more over-the-top (OTT) services and virtually three-quarters subscribe to at least one.

Not surprisingly, Parks found that the top three OTT subscription services in the US are Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu and while launched only at the end of 2019, Disney+ and Apple TV+ have grown quickly to round out the top five. Notably, Disney+ reports having 50 million subscribers as of April 2020. Additional services of note to the analyst include CBS All Access, Crackle, fuboTV, BHO Not, Philo, Pluto TV and Sling TV.

“The set-top box does have a role in this market, but it will have to adapt,” noted Kenneth Wacks contributing analyst, at Parks Associate commenting on the findings of the Set-top Box Innovations and Trends report. “For one, it can serve as the device to aggregate the variety of different services coming into the households and present them in a personalised and attractive UI for an improved consumer experience. They can also integrate other use cases and innovations, such as voice control and smart home controls, to expand the set-top’s role in the home.”