What's in an MAU? It’s a ‘Vanity Metric,’ OTT Consultant Says

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AVOD services including Tubi and Pluto TV have turned the ‘monthly active user’ into the coin of their realm, but Kirby Grines says the measurement can be deceptive

Pluto TV
(Image credit: Pluto TV)

The “monthly active user” (MAU) has become the metric of choice for big AVOD services like Tubi, Pluto TV and Roku Channel, as well as device platforms including Amazon Fire TV. 

But according to OTT business consultant Kirby Grines, publisher of the industry savvy Streaming Wars blog, the MAU is a “vanity metric.”

Simply put, MAU’s aren’t an effective enough barometer of unique usage, Grines said.

“What happens when I’m watching Pluto TV or Xumo on Roku and click through an email they send on my laptop?,” he wrote. “What about when I tap on a push notification on my phone? Odds are that I’m being calculated as three different unique users. MAU can serve as a good benchmark in some degrees, but as a growth driver, it falls short.”

Notably, last week, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish said that Pluto TV would reach 40 million monthly active users by the end of the year. This followed a declaration by Fox Corp. that Tubi was up to 36 MAUs as of the end of Q3. 

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!