According to a principle analyst at Frost & Sullivan, Sling TV has 1.3 million subscribers as of the first quarter 2017. It was recently confirmed that both PlayStation Vue and DIRECTV NOW have about 400,000 subscribers each. That means Sling TV is bigger than both DIRECTV NOW and Playstation Vue combined.
At launch DIRECTV NOW got off to a strong start with about 200,000 subscribers signed up in the first few months. Since then an additional 200,000 subscribers have signed up for its service.
The market for live TV streaming services is about to get far more crowded. Recently YouTube TV launched in a handful of markets and Hulu is expected to launch its live TV streaming service in May. It has also been reported that CenturyLink, Comcast, and Verizon all have a live TV streaming service in the works.
DIRECTV NOW seems to be one of the most aggressive right now in getting new subscribers, offering AT&T Wireless Unlimited subscribers $20 off DIRECTV NOW every month. It has also offered free HBO for a year and even free devices such as the Fire TV if you sign up.
How fast and how far can these services grow? Some have reported that Sling TV will hit 2 million subscribers by the end of 2017. Others have reported that growth will slow across the board and all live TV streaming services will only have 3 million subscribers by the end of the year.
With an estimated 30 million US households not paying for traditional pay TV by the end of 2017, there is a lot of room for growth. Now the question is who will win the hearts of cord cutters.
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