Stephanie Prange
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The Writers Strike and Subscriber Inertia Versus Churn
The writers strike, pundits say, is likely to last for a while, cutting the flow of new content. The strike comes just as studios were already cutting back on streaming content and raising prices for subscribers. Will consumers surrender to the inertia of monthly subscriptions despite these headwinds, or will they unsubscribe? Recent studies have … Continue reading “The Writers Strike and Subscriber Inertia Versus Churn”
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Time to Reinstall Windows
The entertainment business has finally smacked up against reality. It’s just not profitable to offer the bulk of a studio’s catalog (including the newest theatrical hits) at a subscription price around $10 a month. Who knew? Studio executives of yore. In the rush to cut costs to fill the profit hole left by the subscription … Continue reading “Time to Reinstall Windows”
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Streaming Golden Age Waning
I recently marveled at the vast array of streaming content at my fingertips — movies barely out of theaters, big-budget series I could binge in one afternoon — as well as at the fact that it all came at a lower price than our old cable service. (We cut the cord a while ago.) Then … Continue reading “Streaming Golden Age Waning”
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Bundling Is the Streaming Future
My husband recently asked me if we should keep our Discovery+ subscription. We’d gotten it through some sort of free trial and that trial was up. Having perused the content and watched a little, I said, “No. That will be combined with HBO Max soon.” Indeed. That’s what every streaming subscriber is looking for, a … Continue reading “Bundling Is the Streaming Future”
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Mad for Ads
I’m old enough to remember that when cable first appeared on the television scene, one of its biggest enticements was little to no advertising with the content compared to broadcast. Slowly but surely, over the decades each cable channel gathered more and more advertising until watching a two-hour movie could stretch to nearly four hours … Continue reading “Mad for Ads”
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Watching Together
Once again, families and friends gathered around the TV this month for the annual Super Bowl, one of the last big communal viewing events — which are getting rarer all the time. With streaming services offering so many choices to satisfy individual tastes — programs that are available anytime — we are all watching different … Continue reading “Watching Together”
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Streaming’s Biggest Flaw is Search and Discovery
The heady days of OTT discovery may be over, at least as far as paid services are concerned. In a Whip Media study of nearly 4,000 U.S. consumers, survey respondents said they subscribed to an average of 4.7 services and plan to add only one more. More than two-thirds (70%) of respondents said they feel … Continue reading “Streaming’s Biggest Flaw is Search and Discovery”
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Older Content Is Streaming Gold
During this month’s virtual CES, Nielsen released its top 10 lists of titles streamed in 2020 in terms of minutes viewed. By far, the acquired titles streaming list was dominated by series that began more than a decade ago, led not unexpectedly by “The Office,” which premiered in 2005. Other 2005 debutantes included “Grey’s Anatomy” … Continue reading “Older Content Is Streaming Gold”
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Windows Are Closing
Several “captains” in this month’s Women in Home Entertainment section noted that one of the long-term effects of the pandemic may be a change in how entertainment is distributed to consumers. Indeed, we’ve already seen the beginnings of that dramatic shift in content windowing with premium VOD releases such as Trolls World Tour and Scoob!, … Continue reading “Windows Are Closing”
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Ending a Relationship
It had been a long time coming. Cable TV had been a big part of our lives for decades, a constant entertainment companion, but being together so much during the pandemic took a toll on the relationship. Suddenly, those ever-expanding commercial breaks seemed endless after watching ad-free streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon … Continue reading “Ending a Relationship”
