How Many “Serial Churners” Do You Know in Minnesota?

Now that the weather is finally turning seasonable (we hope), our TV viewing time may be less and less as we enjoy the great outdoors. (Remember radio goes great with being outside). 

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But on the topic of television viewing, where do you find most of the shows you watch? Do you still gravitate to “over-the-air" local channels, or are you spending more time watching steaming services? 

According to reports from the “New York Times” and “Antenna” that were shared in the “Morning Brew” daily email I get from Morning Brew, almost 30 million streaming subscribers cancelled three or more services over the last two years.  

There’s a new term (because we have to label everything these days) called “Serial Churners” meaning streaming customers will bounce from one service to the other to try to get the best price or most current programming available.  

Earlier this year, Forbes magazine reported that the average American was spending roughly $46 per month for their channels, and that price seems to keep climbing.  

Netflix is the one streaming channel that has the fewest cancellations compared to other platforms, although the company says they’re not going to continue publicizing their quarterly numbers, saying that engagement is a better metric.  

One thing to keep in mind, around a third of all subscribers who canceled their service reactivated it sometime after making that decision.  

Streaming Services are following the business model that cable companies started years ago, with “bundling” their service with other providers, trying to create a more attractive plan. A lot of those plans have some sort of sports package built in because more and more leagues are moving to the streaming options. 

Some platforms are offering introductory pricing, but most still see above average cancellation rates once the lowered price increases.  

The old days of having an antenna at the house that got three major networks, CBS/ABC/NBC and then adding a fourth with FOX are long gone. Hopefully through this process these streaming companies will find a way to help us, the customers, at least feel like we’re winning.