Streaming video may be experiencing a post-pandemic shift.
The surge in new streaming subscriptions has slowed as COVID-19 restrictions eased this spring. The number of U.S. households taking out a new subscription fell to 3.9% in April-June 2021, down from 12.9% in the same period last year, according to Kantar Entertainment on Demand data.
This is the lowest new subscription rate since the consultancy launched the tracker in the first quarter of 2020.
Still, U.S. households with streaming subscriptions stayed steady at 75%, which equates to about 95.8 million households with subscriptions, Kantar says.
Many streaming video lovers have used services during the coronavirus pandemic and want to cut some subscriptions. On the rise: households with three or more subscriptions – some paid and bundled, others as a trial or with a borrowed password – up to 52% from 45% a year ago, according to a survey of 4,000 US Internet users earlier this year by Ampere Analysis based in London.
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And more than a quarter (29%) of households have access to five or more services, Ampere Analysis found. That makes many think they need to reduce the subscription load.
With at least seven apps, including YouTube TV and ESPN +, Andre Montgomery, HR director for District Heights, Maryland, said his “total bill is slowly getting as high as the cable service I had. but I’m not sure which apps give me the best value for money. “
During the pandemic, Dennis Gastineau of El Prado, New Mexico said he had doubled his streaming subscriptions from three (Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video) to six, and added Acorn TV, BritBox and HBO Max to shows like “The Flight” see Attendant “(HBO Max) and” Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries “. (Acorn).
And now, even though Gastineau plans to cut, “it’s hard to decide what to drop,” he said. “When we retire and move, we only see what we can achieve outside of our primary cable service and how often we use it. We also want to avoid disseminating services that become costly, ”he said in an email conversation.
Consumers seem to be in the mood to trim. According to the Screen Engine / ASI General Entertainment & Technology Tracker, which tracks approximately 3,000 U.S. entertainment consumers, 32% of subscribers who wanted to change their services said they plan to cancel in the first half of 2021. That’s an increase of 26% in the second half of 2020.
Top reasons to consider canceling or downgrading a streaming service include: excessive cost, the need to cut expenses, a service that is losing some favorite content, and a certain show end.
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If you think you need cuts, try app hopping, which is about using a service during the trial period and canceling before your first payment is on your credit card. A quarter (26%) of US adult streaming consumers do this at least a couple of times a year, said Michael Greeson of The Diffusion Group, citing preliminary research that suggests the practice is catching on.
Another “app-hopping” strategy was used: signing up for a specific sports season or event and then ending the service at least a couple of times a year, which about 13% do, he said.
What else has happened in technology?
•“The new plantation.” Research by USA TODAY found that white employees at tech giants Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are five times more likely to get top jobs than their Hispanic counterparts and seven times more likely than their black counterparts. That’s higher than the rate across all U.S. industries, where white employees are three times as likely to be executives than Hispanic or black employees.
•iOS update. The introduction of iOS 15, Apple’s new operating system for iPhones coming this fall, could let your model down on some features.
•Your fantasy television. LG Electronics’ long-promised rollable 4K OLED TV is finally coming to the US But the price might surprise you.
Break in play
There’s new survey data showing how much more video games people played during the pandemic. According to a survey published by the Entertainment Software Association, more than half of gamers (55%) said they played more games during the pandemic. Now more Americans – 227 million – say they play video games, up from 214 million a year ago.
This week on Talking Tech
On the Talking Tech podcast, we discussed when your kids should get their first phone and best practices for posting pictures of them online.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.
