PlayStation Vue, Sony’s OTT-TV service that debuted in March 2015 in a set of markets, has more than 100,000 subs, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, including one that put the total at about 120,000.
Sony, the report said, has seen the rate of subscriptions rise since it launched a trio of “Slim” pay TV packages that are available on a national basis rather than limited to a small batch of markets. Last month, Sony confirmed last month that PlayStation Vue now offers the local feeds of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in all of their respective owned-and-operated markets.
PS Vue recently teamed on asubscription drive promo with ESPN that’s running during the Euro 2016 soccer tournament.
While 100,000-plus subscribers doesn’t yet make PlayStation Vue a major pay TV provider, it does inch it closer to another virtual MVPD, Sling TV, which had more than 600,000 subs, per a report from The Wall Street Journal in February. Bloomberg said that number has since surpassed 700,000.
In addition to the launch of national multichannel packages alongside some a la carte options, PS Vue has been expanding its device reach. It launched an app for Roku players and Roku TVs earlier this month, adding to existing support on PlayStation 3 and PS4 consoles, Amazon Fire TV boxes and the Fire TV Stick, iOS devices (the PS Vue mobile app), and the Google Chromecast (initially via iOS devices). Sony is close to launching a PS Vue app for Android smartphones and tablets.
PS Vue, which offers a cloud DVR, markets three packages: Access ($29.99 per month, or $39.99 in cities with major live local broadcast stations); Core ($34.99//$44.99); and Elite ($44.99/$54.99). It also offers standalone/a la carte services such as Showtime, Machinima, Fox Soccer Plus, and “Premium Pack” bundle (Showtime and Epix Hits).
Even with its device diversity and national pay TV packages, some analysts remain unconvinced that PS Vue can rise to the level of becoming a major OTT platform in part because its offerings are not materially cheaper than services from traditional MVPDs.
Several others are developing or rumored to be developing virtual MVPD offerings, including Apple, Samsung, YouTube, Amazon, and Hulu, which plans to launch an OTT-TV service next year.
