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»A competitive market means that streaming providers need to focus more on retaining their customers. The average user subscribes to nearly two and a half services and spends no more than 28 euros per month on them. Anyone who taking out a new subscription is likely to cancel one of their existing subscriptions. At the same time, the duration of a subscription is relatively constant: Providers are barely able to achieve growth by increasing use«, explains Prof. Dr. Christian Zabel from the TH Köln’s Schmalenbach Institut für Wirtschaftswissenschaften summarizing the results of the study.

Netflix and Amazon Customers Are Loyal

In addition, users are readily willing to cancel their subscriptions: One quarter of those asked stated that they had cancelled a subscription in the past year. 61 percent also stated that they had at least occasionally taken out a subscription to watch a specific series and then cancelled the subscription afterwards.

The success providers have in retaining customers varies. While less than ten percent of those asked said that they intended to cancel their Netflix or Amazon subscriptions in the next year, that figure for Disney+, Paramount+, and WOW subscribers is over 20 percent. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video users are predominantly long-term subscribers with 65 per cent (Netflix) and 80 per cent (Amazon Prime Video) having been loyal to the service for over two years.

Pricing Attracts Customers

Affordable introductory offers are a significant factor when it comes to attracting new subscribers: 57 percent of those asked said that it was important to them to pay less than the regular price in the early stages of their subscription. Once they have been customers for some time, the cost becomes somewhat less relevant. However, 40 percent of respondents said that they had cancelled a subscription in the past because of price increases after an automatic contract renewal.

»Another indication of the importance of low prices is the use of cheaper, ad-supported subscriptions.
Although these ad-supported streaming services have only been on the market for a relatively short time, they already account for nearly half of all contracts«, says Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kunz from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.

Subscribing to a service as part of a bundle with other contracts can also reduce the price. Around 62 per cent of streaming subscriptions are for individual services, 13 per cent are part of a TV or internet contract, and 10 per cent are purchased in a bundle with other video-on-demand providers. This is especially relevant for smaller providers: 42 percent of Paramount+ and 31 percent RTL+ subscribers are using the service as part of a TV or internet contract. For Disney+, this accounts for only 25 percent of subscribers.

Minor Differences in Terms of Content

Currently, none of the providers are able to clearly differentiate themselves from the competition in terms of quality. Respondents expressed similar levels of satisfaction with all streaming services surveyed, with Disney+ and WOW lagging slightly behind. Even smaller differences can be noticed when asked about the content relevance and the in-house production quality. However, smaller providers such as Joyn+ or Paramount+ have more subscribers when it comes to watching a specific series or programme. This offers opportunities for targeted marketing. RTL+ ranks highest in terms of value for money, while WOW is rated significantly lower in this respect.

About the Study

For their study, TH Köln and the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar surveyed a total of 1,030 video-on-demand service subscribers via an online panel in June 2025. The sample surveyed was representative of the population in terms of gender, age, and education level. The survey was preceded by a pre-test among students at TH Köln, in which 168 people completed the questionnaire. Streaming use and the general intention to cancel, or »churn«, were surveyed for all participants. Users were also asked which streaming services they subscribed to. A provider was then selected at random for subscribers to evaluate in detail. The results refer to the seven most relevant providers on the German market: Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Joyn+, Netflix, Paramount+, RTL+, and WOW.