Subscriber dissatisfaction grows in North American streaming services

Recent surveys indicate a growing dissatisfaction among North American streaming service subscribers, not just due to increasing subscription costs and the introduction of more advertisements, but primarily because of a perceived decline in the quality of content available. This trend was highlighted in a recent TiVo survey involving nearly 5,000 participants in the United States and Canada, and reported by Ars Technica. The survey revealed a noticeable drop in the number of subscribers who felt they could find content that was “moderate to good,” with figures declining from 78.6% in 2022 to 74.5% in 2024.

This dissatisfaction has impacted some of the most prominent streaming platforms, including Disney Plus, Hulu, Max, Netflix, and Paramount Plus, all of which have seen a fall in satisfaction rates this year. This coincides with each service raising subscription prices in 2024. A CableTV.com study conducted earlier in the year showed similar findings, underscoring the widespread sentiment across these popular platforms.

Interestingly, some platforms have bucked this downward trend. Apple TV Plus, Peacock, and Prime Video have all seen improvements in subscriber satisfaction, particularly Apple TV Plus and Peacock, which have consistently gained favor since similar surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2022. This corroborates a Whip Media survey from 2023, suggesting that smaller platforms are increasingly appealing to audiences over better-established competitors.

The streaming industry’s shift also marks a broader change in the television landscape. John Landgraf, a leading figure at FX networks, has been forecasting the end of the ‘peak TV’ era since 2022, suggesting that financial constraints would force streaming services to cut back on production even before the 2023 writers’ strikes affected content creation. This prediction has increasingly manifested in 2024 as major streamers like Netflix have noticeably increased their rate of show cancellations. In fact, FX Research reports a decline in the number of new scripted series being released for the first time in a decade, highlighting the industry’s scaling back of original content investment.

This realignment in strategies among streaming giants suggests a move away from the previous model of relentless output toward possibly prioritising quality content. Industry insiders have noted that Netflix, in particular, might consider adjusting its approach, given criticism regarding the quality of its film offerings.

Overall, the data suggest a significant shift in the streaming ecosystem, marked by subscriber dissatisfaction with both cost and content quality on major platforms. Meanwhile, smaller and emerging services appear to be capitalising on this opportunity by providing content that resonates better with audiences, suggesting a potential reshaping of the streaming market landscape.

Source: Noah Wire Services