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Television

25% of Netflix Subscribers Planning To Leave Service, Survey Finds (9to5mac.com) 91

Posted by msmash from the people-have-spoken dept.
Netflix already lost 1.2 million subscribers in the first two quarters of 2022. While the company hopes to add one million new users with its new ad-supported tier, a survey shows that 1 in 4 Netflix users are planning to cancel their subscriptions this year. From a report: Here's what this could mean to other streaming services, such as Apple TV+. Reviews surveyed 1,000 Americans to gauge their streaming habits in 2022. According to the report, the average American is subscribed to four streaming platforms. Netflix is still the most popular streaming service with nearly 4 out of 5 (77%) Americans currently subscribed to the platform. In addition, 70% say they use Netflix the most, followed by: HBO Max: 9.91%; Disney+: 6.18%; Peacock: 4.25%; Hulu: 3.86%; Apple TV+: 2.70%; Paramount+: 2.70%.

That said, of all the Netflix subscribers, 25% are planning to cancel their subscriptions. Of those who plan to leave the streaming service, two-thirds say increasing costs is one of the reasons. According to the survey, Netflix has the highest average plan cost among the eight more popular streaming services in the US. The other big complaint from Netflix users is two-fold: 1 in 3 respondents said Netflix no longer has the shows they want to watch; 30% said that they use other streaming services more.
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25% of Netflix Subscribers Planning To Leave Service, Survey Finds More

25% of Netflix Subscribers Planning To Leave Service, Survey Finds

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  • Netflix is done... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by flogger ( 524072 ) <non@nonegiven> on Thursday September 22, 2022 @05:29PM (#62905957) Journal
    Netflix has served its purpose. It showed the world that streaming movies was viable. The movie studios realized that Netflix was making bank off their stuff and started their own private streaming services... Now that everyone is streaming their own content, it's either go back to paying subscriptions for your media flavor at hundreds of dollars a month (If you want them all) OR go back to the pirate bay.

    • Or don't watch TV. I have netflix. When I drop it, I will not subscribe to hulu, amazon, disney, hbomax or others. Don't support balkanization. Amazon may implode, it's spending way to much on it's own content in an effort to get more market share. Disney wouldn't exist if it weren't for kids shows and it grabbing up a couple tired old franchises. Hulu never fit in anywhere really except for the older free-with-advertisements service.

      TV is done.

      • The painful reality is that the cost of doing business is more than a couple bucks a month. People now expect these shows at price points way below the cost to produce them. Netflix has taken on loads of debt in the process. This is the market pushing towards sustainable business models, and it sucks for those of us that want content for one cheap subscription... but it's also entirely reasonable for the media companies to not want to fail.

    • Re:Netflix is done... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by PsychoSlashDot ( 207849 ) on Thursday September 22, 2022 @07:11PM (#62906257)

      Netflix has served its purpose. It showed the world that streaming movies was viable. The movie studios realized that Netflix was making bank off their stuff and started their own private streaming services... Now that everyone is streaming their own content, it's either go back to paying subscriptions for your media flavor at hundreds of dollars a month (If you want them all) OR go back to the pirate bay.

      You know what's cool about a grocery store? You can go to one and buy what you want.

      Hostess wants to make their money on Twinkies? Fine. Lipton wants to make their money on soup? Fine.

      Modern streaming is the equivalent of separating every product into its own store. We're forced to patronize each place, and - worse - provide our payment information to each place. This model sucks.

      Cable bundling was the equivalent of going to the grocery store and in order to buy some soup, you had to also buy two live lobsters, some diapers, and a bulk bag of brown sugar. This model sucks.

      I'd be perfectly happy if Disney (currently charging $X for their subscription) made their content available via Netflix's interface and I had to pay Netflix 110% of $X for that. I have zero interest in providing my payment information to all of these clowns individually. The attack surface for my information should be as small as possible, and I'm honestly willing to pay for that (relative) safety.

      So, until that happens, I subscribe to Netflix and pay their paltry monthly amount. The others are leaving my money in my wallet by not hawking their wares at the (formerly) de-facto streaming supermarket.


      Addendum... I think it'd also be cool if the add-ons were pro-rated based on how much you use them. Say... if you watch... oh... 20 hours a month or more, it's $X. But if you watch 10 hours a month, it's $X/2. Netflix provides the content-producer metrics on what I watch, and that producer learns that its customers like certain things and don't like others. They have a direct monetary incentive to produce content we - on average - want to see.

      • People make content because they want to be paid.

        • People make content because they want to be paid.

          Fortunately a significant portion of my post indicated I'd be willing to pay for that content. My issue is how that payment is made.

          • People who want to be paid will try to arrange things so they will get paid as much as possible. That's what they want.

            • People who want to be paid will try to arrange things so they will get paid as much as possible. That's what they want.

              I understand that. But I also indicated that I'd be willing to pay them their current asking price, and that their not allowing me to do that is why they're getting nothing from me.

        • Once the streaming market started fracturing, I started buying shows outright on places that let you do that. I'd gladly pay 1.99 for an hour of good TV that I can watch as many times as I want, rather than pay $10.99 a month forever to watch a whole bunch of things that might be OK, but I probably won't really enjoy, just to see that one show that I dig once and then wonder why I bothered signing up in the first place after.

          Disney especially, I wish would offer this type of service. Lots of their movies an

        • Not all. Some do it because they want to push their agenda.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        We actually have grocery shops like that in the UK, such as Marks and Spencer. They do sell some stuff from other companies, but it's 99% their own brand stuff and that's the only place you can buy it. They are one of the oldest retailers in the country.

        Disney+ is basically the same model. The only place you can get Marvel and Star Wars now. Time will tell if it works. Netflix's problem is that they don't have enough exclusive IP, and they cancelled a load of what they were producing because apparently they

      • The attack surface for my information should be as small as possible, and I'm honestly willing to pay for that (relative) safety.

        So use a different virtual card number for each site that's locked to that merchant. It's not not hard [privacy.com]

      • You know what's cool about a grocery store? You can go to one and buy what you want.

        Hostess wants to make their money on Twinkies? Fine. Lipton wants to make their money on soup? Fine.

        Modern streaming is the equivalent of separating every product into its own store. We're forced to patronize each place, and - worse - provide our payment information to each place. This model sucks.

        Well, that analogy works to a point.

        We have a number of grocery stores here where I live, much like any other area in the U

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by DarkOx ( 621550 )

        I think you fundamentally misunderstand the market.

        You have to eat. You -are- buying some groceries so its question of convincing you what to eat, and maybe selling you on some the idea of going up or down market for this or that, and perhaps while you are already buying something tacking on an impulse buy or two.

        No you don't need the Twinkies and yes they have a separate 'fee' attached to them but you are only checking out with that shopping basket once. That is psychologically important - you feel like yo

      • I wish to point out that the analogy is not great, because, and this may surprise those of you less than 100 years old, there was a time when you had to go to different stores for your meat vs fruit and vegetables vs liquor vs toilet paper vs bread vs dairy vs .... In those days, one person in a marriage working was sufficient to support a family, and there were at most 7 television channels you could watch, and usually far fewer. Yet, people were a lot happier than they are today.

      • Netflix has served its purpose. It showed the world that streaming movies was viable. The movie studios realized that Netflix was making bank off their stuff and started their own private streaming services... Now that everyone is streaming their own content, it's either go back to paying subscriptions for your media flavor at hundreds of dollars a month (If you want them all) OR go back to the pirate bay.

        You know what's cool about a grocery store? You can go to one and buy what you want.

        Hostess wants to make their money on Twinkies? Fine. Lipton wants to make their money on soup? Fine.

        Modern streaming is the equivalent of separating every product into its own store. We're forced to patronize each place, and - worse - provide our payment information to each place. This model sucks.

        Cable bundling was the equivalent of going to the grocery store and in order to buy some soup, you had to also buy two live lobsters, some diapers, and a bulk bag of brown sugar. This model sucks.

        I'd be perfectly happy if Disney (currently charging $X for their subscription) made their content available via Netflix's interface and I had to pay Netflix 110% of $X for that. I have zero interest in providing my payment information to all of these clowns individually. The attack surface for my information should be as small as possible, and I'm honestly willing to pay for that (relative) safety.

        So, until that happens, I subscribe to Netflix and pay their paltry monthly amount. The others are leaving my money in my wallet by not hawking their wares at the (formerly) de-facto streaming supermarket.

        Addendum... I think it'd also be cool if the add-ons were pro-rated based on how much you use them. Say... if you watch... oh... 20 hours a month or more, it's $X. But if you watch 10 hours a month, it's $X/2. Netflix provides the content-producer metrics on what I watch, and that producer learns that its customers like certain things and don't like others. They have a direct monetary incentive to produce content we - on average - want to see.

        Your retail analogy is not bad, but entertainment is not like twinkies and lipton tea, is more like Nike Vs. Adidas sportwear. Or Wintel Vs Mac...

        People feel some sort of Identification with the brands/prducts/franchises

        Trekkies will gravitate to Paramount+ and then see what's available there and elsewere... Star wars and marvel fans will gravitate to disney plus, and then see what else is available there and elsewere... DC comics fans will graviate to HBOMax and then see what else is available there and e

    • I never left the Pirate Bay

    • It showed the world that streaming movies was viable.

      Netflix was and is one of the many actors in the VOD market, which became profitable in the early 2000s. From Wikipedia: "According to the European Audiovisual Observatory, 142 paying VOD services were operational in Europe at the end of 2006. The number increased to 650 by 2009". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] What Netflix showed is that one could bring this to challenge the dominance of broadcast TV.

    • Netflix has served its purpose. It showed the world that streaming movies was viable. The movie studios realized that Netflix was making bank off their stuff and started their own private streaming services... Now that everyone is streaming their own content, it's either go back to paying subscriptions for your media flavor at hundreds of dollars a month (If you want them all) OR go back to the pirate bay.

      I wouldn't necessarily say it's done. If you look at the numbers in the summary Netflix is still well on top. The traditional media competitors are subsidizing their streaming with their back-catalogues and traditional cable revenues. But those income sources are going to fade and their streaming services will have to stand on their own.

      Netflix still has a rough time ahead and it going to lose some market share, but it's still best positioned to be the biggest player in streaming in 10 years time.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • How many for good though? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Thursday September 22, 2022 @05:40PM (#62905997)

    I just left Netflix myself...

    But I'll probably be back in a few months, because that's how I use Netflix these days. I wait for something I really want to see, subscribe and watch what I can for a month then leave again.

    So, I'm not sure that 25% number is quite as bad as it seems, but it is true that "permanent" subscribers are probably mostly going to be gone in the future.

    • That's a common way we're seeing many utilize streaming now. Rotating subscriptions. Cancel one, move to another for a month or two and consume the content they want, then cancel and move on to the next. To make folks less likely to do such, we'll likely see serviced offer 1-year subscriptions at a discount (or rather increase the monthly and push people towards the larger commitments at a savings).

      • To make folks less likely to do such

        I have been wondering about that, what can services do to keep people on a little longer?

        One thing I was thinking maybe some would do, would be to flag the last episodes of popular shows so you can only watch them after the second month of a subscription.

        Or, maybe your idea but a shorter timeframe - offer a discount for two months subscription. Not sure many people would go for a whole year even with a discount. I might do that for Disney+ though I'll admit, mostly beca

    • I haven't quit Netflix yet myself, but it's very much on the top of the list to get the axe if I ever decide to economize.

  • Of course, people are going to quit. I quit Netflix 4 years ago because their originals are awful and their movie selection is abysmal. I now use Kanopy through my library and pay for Mubi and PBS. Add free services like DW, Arte and youtube to this mix, and there is something for everybody. All for less than a Netflix subscription.

    Streaming services have managed to become as bad as basic cable, and Netflix, unfortunately, led that charge, too.

    • Yep. To make matters worse, if you point it out they start calling you a troll, purely to discredit your opinion,

  • Anyway...
  • And are motivated to waste their time talking to useless telemarketers, 25% say they are going to leave. So 75% will stay even though they hate Netflix.

    Or of the population who is unemployed or on assistance so they have time to waste with telemarketers, 25% are going to cut the excess expense of Netflix. Which means 25% of those on limited income are going to continue to make Netflix a priority

  • Market fragmentation (Score:4, Interesting)

    by devslash0 ( 4203435 ) on Thursday September 22, 2022 @05:59PM (#62906065)

    At least in the past, when the market was more consolidated, you could find a handful of good shows among all the junk. Then, of course, all the copyright holders were like "Hey! We can take those good shows and make them a selling point for our own streaming platforms!". The result is, that we're now left with 1-2 good titles per platform but the amount of junk expanded to fill the void. No wonder everyone thinks that there's nothing to watch wherever you go.

  • Netflix is still the most popular streaming service with nearly 4 out of 5 (77%) Americans currently subscribed to the platform

    Given that stat how bad can the "problem" of password sharing be? Some of the 23% may actually not want to watch Netflix and not be sharing a password.

    To me the bigger problem is probably people subscribed but not watching.

  • I've cancelled them all. Now I'm super productive. (Score:3)

    by devslash0 ( 4203435 ) on Thursday September 22, 2022 @06:07PM (#62906097)

    I cancelled all video streaming services on 1 Aug and I can't believe the amount of sh*t I got done since, some of which I had been putting back for months. Even if I was only playing TV as background noise, in retrospective, it was interrupting my focus and affecting the amount of time it took to complete tasks whereas now I feel super-focused all the time.

  • Namely the 25% of customers who plan on getting a place of their own "someday".

    And the ones planning on joining a gym, and actually going, along with the ones planning on reading instead of watching video.

    But all kidding aside, Netflix deserves to be worried, and in trouble. Somewhere along the way their bang for the buck decreased a lot. I guess they should have preserved their niche, and left paying for premium content as an optional tier.

  • Better make your UI more cumbersome and add another row of the exact same recommendations slightly shuffled from the other rows!

    See if you could get more things to play while I am trying to browse episodes, too!

  • Once they roll out the ad-supported tier, won't Netflix pretty much be YouTube with less content? Starting to look like the end for them

  • I hate forced bundling. Why can't we just buy a la carte? I just want a glass of milk, not a fucking cow! The sales people always say, "yes, but also get a rump and legs and a cute wet nose..."

    Nooo! I just want a glass of milk! Rump this, Nutflix!

  • What's taking so long? (Score:3)

    by Tony Isaac ( 1301187 ) on Thursday September 22, 2022 @07:13PM (#62906263) Homepage

    I'll bet half of those people already never watch Netflix, and just haven't yet jumped through the hoops you have to jump through to cancel.

  • Sure, some of it stands out. But just a very, very few. The rest is junk. They were better of when they offered DVDs, including pretty much everybody's full catalog. Their DVD business is still around, at DVD.com. We've switched, and appreciate still having the large catalog that originally drew us to Netflix.

  • 1. Every single production company wants to run their own streaming service for their shows, so it's split up again, as they try to basically recreate cable, where if you want to watch the shows you want, you have to sub to several services, costing you a lot of money, that's full of shows you don't want to watch, just to watch a few. IE The return of cable.
    I'm already paying too much either thanks to Cable Strikes Back and has dramatically increased the cost of even basic internet speeds and services.

    2. I'

    • Pilots are free. Nobody cares, they're released, you can torrent them or whatever.

      You pay an ongoing but extremely minimal service fee for access to the streaming service to get to the paid content.

      You unlock individual episodes of a show with payments of a buck or so per hour of content. You can unlock entire seasons with a discount, entire shows with a bigger discount. Maybe there are bundles and discounts for really old stuff or really low-rated stuff. This is like 'buying the DVD', the license to v

  • I read this headline and realized I had a subscription I could cancel... so I did.

  • "Nothing to watch on Netflix"

    Sure, but when has TV _ever_ been any different? - this is just streaming, going through the exact same thing as TV networks.

    And each streaming platform is vying to get the best shows to entice subscribers.

    The reality is, there's also a lot of average stuff, a lot of terrible stuff - just like there's always been.

    The difference now, is we get to choose when we want to watch.

    But then we get down to price - and having multiple streaming services - and the cost of living crisis (le

  • ...there were nothing left for me.

    So, I seem to have very particular interests and since last month I could not find anything new - so I canceled.

    However, next year I will probably check back as there are bound to be something new, or at least new seasons of shows I watched. But in the mean time there is no point paying for something I'm not going to use.

    I'm guessing I'll do the same with the other subscriptions - with one exception: Amazon Prime - since that subscription is more than just the stream

  • Ozark was great - better than Breaking Bad in my mind.
    Anything since other than the slew of foreign/dubbed media?
  • I cancelled last month because I got tired of wading through the dross. It had reached the point that when Netflix presented me with a page of titles, I was typing every single name into a search on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes to find out if it was worth my time. Don't give me an ad-supported subscription Netflix - that just tells me that you value my time even less to force me to sit through ads after I've spent ages selecting a movie. Give me reviews and ratings. Give me better search and filtering capabi
    • Totally agree. Their search is almost useless. But I think that's intentional they just want to push you to the shows they want you to watch there is no interest in letting you pick. Their service is just abysmal.
    • Have you noticed how IMDB has become increasingly less useful? They fancied it up and made it harder to find info that used to be in your face.
      • I stopped using it when they shut down the boards. There's still no single place that you can go to for a critical discussion on a film. I get that the boards were turning into cesspools of hate and stupidity, but shutting them down was not the answer.
  • Very interesting. I thought subscriptions would only go up.

  • The wave of the future? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by jenningsthecat ( 1525947 ) on Friday September 23, 2022 @09:53AM (#62907389)

    I think we may be seeing a general business trend here. It seems to me that corporations are becoming successful and dominant, then declining and becoming footnotes, in ever-shorter periods of time.

    For example, Facebook hasn't even been around for two decades, yet it's already showing signs of circling the drain. Yahoo suffered a similar fate, within a similar time-frame; it's still around, but it's totally irrelevant.

    Netflix has been around for about 25 years, so it's actually beating the odds a bit by still being in the ring. I suspect its days are numbered though.

    • This has always happened to some extent. How many business can you name that opened before, say, 1900? Most were founded, got big, and then declined. A few stuck around, like GE. The big difference is the speed with which this is happening. Personally, I think the emphasis on growth over profits is a big component. Stock gets overvalued because people are looking for that big payday in the future. But the growth isn't sustainable and those big profits never materialize. Netflix is a textbook example

  • They got a big head start by being the first true streaming service. Then the other guys like Disney and Paramount got wise to it and stopped licencing their content to Netflix and offered their own streaming services.

    Netflix had a few good original programs in the beginning, like House of Cards, but a lot of them have been duds. Meanwhile they keep raising prices for lower quality content.

    I think their biggest competition is going to be against free content like YouTube and TikTok. Look down your nose at i

  • so it's essentially â4,50 a Month for each, which is about what I'm willing to pay for netflix. If they ban account sharing, I'm out. I probably would have still terminated it already if not one of the other three had wanted to keep it then.
  • One of the biggest reasons why the Video Store was successful was because you could go there and choose whatever movie you wanted. You didn't have two competing video stores side by side, and have to decide which store to look at for a particular movie. Now I maintain 3 or 4 separate streaming services literally because these a$$hat content providers can't play nicely - they have all discovered that they can remove content and start up their own service, and you will have to pay that particular provider t
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