Budgets are being slashed, and Disney Plus is one of the casualties of this.”
There is a bursting of the streaming bubble right now. In light of recent discussions regarding Netflix, Disney Plus, and Prime Video, a new study on streaming service cancellations seems to be accurate. In addition, it seems that Disney Plus is the most popular streaming service that consumers are no longer using.
Each of the three streaming services is on the chopping block for a number of people, but we’re not suggesting you should cancel them all. As an example, after cancelling Netflix in February, I returned to binge Jimmy McGill’s escapades so that I could watch Better Call Saul season 6 in its entirety.
This is known as churning, since I’m constantly re-entering and re-exiting Netflix. Companies don’t like it since it makes their subscription income streams less predictable. Netflix has recently reported that it lost 200,000 customers in the first quarter and expects to lose a massive 2 million subscribers by July.
The research company Kantar found “substantial increases in attrition rates quarter on quarter” for four services in particular. To put it another way, the business claims that this shows “inflation is at the forefront of customers’ thoughts, with 1/3 of those who discontinued an SVoD subscription… indicating it was because they wanted to save money.”
The fact that this research and poll is centred on British audiences should be noted, but it doesn’t seem like it couldn’t be occuring somewhere else.
Streaming services are being shuttered as a result.
Customers in Great Britain are abandoning four services, according to Kantar, the market research firm. They include NOW (a premium streaming service from the UK’s Sky broadcaster), Disney Plus, Discovery Plus and BritBox (a subscription service for British content) (a British TV service that my parents, who may cancel Netflix, love).
In spite of the fact that I’ve never had an interest in signing up for NOW or Discovery Plus or BritBox, I can see the appeal of Disney+. Some of Hulu’s content is included in the Star Channel on Disney Plus, which is why I suggested cancelling Hulu for April 2022.
Abbott Elementary, the comedy with a perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is available on Hulu, which works well for me most of the time. Unless you’re interested in following the Kardashians in their new digs or a bunch of kid-friendly fare, the selection of new movies in April appeared somewhat meagre.
With Moon Knight, the main Disney Plus series of the moment, the reviews have been divided. Rory Mellon isn’t a fan of it, as I described in my Moon Knight review, which you can read in full here.
This trend coincides with a decline in the number of British homes having at least one streaming service. There were 1.51 million cancellations in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of over 50% from the previous quarter (1.04 million) and an increase of 310,000 from this time last year, according to the research.
In addition, the report notes that “more than half a million cancellations were ascribed to’money saving'” despite the increase in cancellations.
The best streaming services to stick with right now
According to Kantar, Netflix and Prime Video are still popular with consumers. I’m not surprised. Many people consider Netflix to be a must-have utility, but with Amazon Prime, you’ll keep around since you have access to Prime Video.
Netflix, on the other hand, has a promising slate for the spring and summer seasons. This week sees the start of Russian Doll season 2 (on April 20), while Grace and Frankie season 7 and Ozark season 4 come to a close on April 29.
After you’ve seen all of that, what will you do next? Season 4 of Stranger Things will premiere on May 27 and July 1. The fourth season of Umbrella Academy will premiere on June 22nd, followed by the July 14th premiere of the extremely intriguing-looking live-action Resident Evil Netflix series, starring Lance Reddick.
Even if you weren’t a fan of Moon Knight, I believe many will return to Disney Plus for Obi Wan or Ms. Marvel on May 27 or June 8 respectively. She-formidable Hulk’s form is also on the horizon for Disney+.
Apple TV Plus is the last service I’d suggest to everyone, and it’s accessible across the globe. Apple’s streaming service is currently on a roll, with to shows like Severance (the greatest new show of 2022), The Afterparty, Coda, Roar, and Slow Horses, and it’s about to become much better thanks to the intense-looking Shining Girls starring Elizabeth Moss.
Outlook
Having stated that, the final say in all of this rests with you. Until the third season of Derry Girls is available on Netflix, my parents are on the verge of cancelling their subscription.
If you’re paying for a service, be sure you’re really utilising it. Don’t live like you’re still on a year-to-year contract in an age of monthly payments. My AMC Plus subscription was just terminated since it failed to provide me with the new season of Better Call Saul that Sling did. “What are you doing for me this month?” is usually the question.