“Subscription pausers” emerge to influence U.S. streaming services: data

NEW YORK, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) — The monthly median percentage of premium streaming video subscribers who rejoined the same service they had canceled within the prior year was 34.2 percent in the first nine months of 2024 in the United States, up from 29.8 percent in 2022, according to the latest data from subscription analytics provider Antenna.
“As subscription prices rise and streaming-centric home entertainment becomes the norm, families are establishing their own hierarchies of always-on services versus those that come and go with seasons of hit shows or sports,” reported The Wall Street Journal on Monday about the finding.
The habit of pausing and resuming service means that the industrywide rate of customer defections, which has risen over the past year, is less pronounced than it appears, it said. The average rate of U.S. customer cancellations among premium streaming video services reached 5.2 percent in August, but after factoring in re-subscribers, the rate of defections was lower at 3.5 percent.
“The increasingly ingrained habit underscores the importance of streamers regularly delivering hit shows and films as well as live fare such as sporting events,” noted the report. “Streaming services are trying to use a mix of bundles, promotions, well-timed marketing emails and lower-cost ad-supported plans to lure customers back faster or help them feel they are getting enough value to stick around longer.” ■