Netflix, followed by Amazon Prime, are the top OTT video services in the U.S. market, based on estimated number of subscribers, according to new research from Parks Associates. Those two providers, and third-place Hulu all held their top positions since the last Parks Associates OTT report.

Rounding out the top five are HBO and Starz. MLB.com grabbed the sixth spot, but will decline in the next several months now that the baseball season is over, researchers said.

Rounding out the top 10 were Showtime, CBS All Access, Sling TV and DIRECTV Now.

“Which company is the leading OTT video subscription service remains a topic of debate,” said Brett Sappington, Parks Associates senior director of research, in a prepared statement in a press release about the top OTT video service research. “According to our estimates, Amazon has more Prime Members than Netflix has subscribers. However, when you consider only those Prime Members that use Prime Video, Netflix is the largest. Hulu remains the third largest but continues to grow its subscriber base.”

Parks Associates notes the rise of a second tier of OTT video services from recognized brands, including several with high profile original content.

Sappington commented: “HBO, Starz, Showtime, and CBS All Access demonstrate the powerful attractiveness of original content through series like Game of Thrones and Star Trek: Discovery. This pattern suggests new services such as WarnerMedia’s DC Universe and the forthcoming streaming service from Disney could achieve success quickly.”

Following MLB.TV, the top subscription sports OTT video services were WWE Network and ESPN+. Like MLB.TV, WWE also has a dedicated fan base and publicly reported having over 1.2 million U.S. subscribers at the end of the third quarter of 2018.

Image courtesy of flickr user Javier Domínguez Ferreiro.