Streaming services are changing: customer loyalty under pressure!

Streaming services are changing: customer loyalty under pressure!

Streaming providers face an increasingly competitive market in which customer loyalty plays a crucial role. According to a current study by the TH Cologne and the Bauhaus University Weimar, which was carried out in June 2025, it is essential for providers to retain users in the long term because subscription fluctuations are significant. On average, users own almost 2.5 streaming services and spend no more than 28 euros per month on them. This means discounts or tailored offers through sites like University of Weimar have an important influence on consumer decisions.

The survey found that 25% of respondents have canceled a subscription in the last twelve months. 61% of users stated that they had taken out subscriptions for certain content and then canceled them. This shows how important it is for providers to provide interesting content to retain subscribers and prevent them from switching to another subscription. Netflix and Amazon have particularly high customer retention rates: under 10% of users plan to cancel in the coming year. Over 65% of Netflix users and more than 80% of Amazon Prime Video users are loyal for more than two years.

Reasons for cancellation and pricing

Price increases represent another critical issue in the streaming landscape. In a survey by Simon Kucher & Partners It was found that 40% of respondents canceled a subscription due to an increased price after an automatic contract renewal. This illustrates how sensitive many consumers are to price changes. In addition, 57% value cheap entry-level offers, which means for providers that tempting price promotions in the initial phase are crucial for attracting new subscribers.

Advertising-financed streaming offers are becoming increasingly important: on average, they already account for half of all contracts concluded. Furthermore, 62% of streaming contracts are individual subscriptions, while only 13% are part of a TV or internet contract. For providers such as Paramount+ and RTL+, a large proportion of subscriptions (42% and 31% respectively) are part of such contracts. Disney+ follows with an average of 25%. The advantages of these bundles are obvious, especially for users who want to combine different media offerings.

Content evaluation and usage patterns

The study showed no significant differences in the content evaluation of the streaming providers. However, Disney+ and WOW have slight disadvantages compared to other major providers. Smaller streaming services such as Joyn+ or Paramount+ are often subscribed to specific series, indicating that niche offerings can also serve their own market. The general price-performance rating favors RTL+, which performs better compared to WOW.

The survey data was collected from a population-representative sample of 1,030 users of subscription video-on-demand offerings. The results reflect the views of consumers and provide valuable insights for providers in the German market. Analysts continue to monitor user behavior evolution to identify future trends and challenges.