Noting that Netflix’s recent earnings call reminds the industry that subscriber counts are the scoreboard of the streaming wars, a study from Hub Entertainment Research has shown that understanding which subscriptions are the stickiest is a leading indicator of which platforms are positioned to grow.
In its annual Conquering Content survey Hub tracked stickiness, shedding light on how the home base for lean-in viewing is evolving. It stressed that one great measure of stickiness was where do people find and watch shows that they consider their favourites. Moreover, it added that streaming is not a zero-sum game: each year, the average viewer uses more platforms than the year before. Putting its research note into context, Hub gave the reminder that in 2017 Netflix was the undisputed king of originals. Disney + and HBO Max had not yet launched, and only 11% of viewers said their favourite show was on Amazon or Hulu.
In 2021, while Netflix still accounted for more viewing of favourites than any other major streaming platform, its share has fallen, while that of the other “Big 4” has doubled.
"At the end of the day, Netflix still creates more content than anyone else and many still consider it their most indispensable provider,” remarked Hub founder and principal Jon Giegengack commenting on the research. “But as competitors create more originals (and networks reserve their best shows for their own streaming platforms), the competition for share of mind will get tighter. And that pressure will show up in metrics like lean-in viewing before it appears in subscriber numbers."
