Cutting back

I've cut back on streaming services. I've never subscribed to a lot, and I'm subscribing to fewer than ever.

Well, I did subscribe to Netflix recently, but that was to test something, not to watch and keep the service.

I keep Hulu, but pause the service for months at a time, allowing shows to build up. I'll then binge the shows for a month, then pause it again. I pay for it 3 or 4 months out of the year.

Disney Plus will sometimes be included with Netflix, or at least, it used to be. I've not heard of anything I care to watch on the service, so when I pay for Hulu again, it will be just Hulu.

Paramount Plus and Peacock TV are part of other services.

AMC+ and Starz are ending annual subscriptions I did for a family member. I didn't watch the services.

Curiosity Stream is ending an annual subscription as well. I rarely use it and much of the content I like is available via other services.

That's pretty much it. I don't do a live streaming service such as Sling TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, or any of those services. I do subscribe to Frndly TV, as it has the few channels I would watch if I had the other services. Antenna gets me local channels and I don't care about sports, except when college football kicks off. Then I will subscribe to Sling TV.

I've had services, but have cut back, and am continuing to cut back. And so have many others.

A report from Next TV says that 35% of US streamers are looking to cut back on services. Does that mean 65% are looking to increase? No, not actually. The report says 5% will increase, and the rest will leave things as they are:

New data reported by Aluma Connected Media Insights corroborates that finding, showing that 35% of subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) customers believe they are spending too much on services like Netflix and are looking to cut back.

This figure represents a 40% increase in customers looking to cut back vs last year, and nearly three times greater than the amount in 2019.

Furthermore, only 5% of all customers would be interested in spending more on SVOD services, down 38% from 2022.

This downward trend has remained largely steady throughout the past four years, as customers have gradually become dissatisfied with the aggressive market prices set by streaming services in an attempt to generate revenue.

So, seven times as many are looking to cut services than increase services. My Streaming Life has been there for some time. I'm not surprised to see others coming to the same conclusion.