What Would Make You Cancel a Video-Streaming Service?

The video streaming war will be fought over viewers.

Among the deep-pocketed, big-budget streaming services entering an already-crowded market in the next year, which players can snag the most subscribers? Is there room for all of them?

Daxdi recently surveyed 1,001 US streaming subscribers on a variety of streaming topics and preferences: whether they share passwords and with whom; if they plan on subscribing to new services like Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock; and how much they're willing to pay for both an individual service and for their monthly streaming budget.

We also asked what would make them cancel a service to which they already subscribe.

For the vast majority of respondents, the deciding factor in keeping or canceling a streaming service comes down to price; 65 percent said they would cancel over price increases.

Across the market, price is one of the most divisive factors.

Netflix—under pressure to maintain profits and bankroll originals—raised its prices at the beginning of 2019 from $11 to $13 a month for its most popular plan.

By contrast, Disney+ costs only $6.99 per month or $12.99 bundled with Hulu and ESPN+.

Apple TV+ is $4.99 per month, and Apple is giving a year away for free with any new device.

HBO Max will cost $14.99

Another 14 percent said they'd cancel over losing their favorite content (like Marvel movies leaving Netflix for Disney+), while 9 percent said a lack of exclusive original content would be a deciding factor.

Incumbents like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have spent billions in the past few years stockpiling original shows and movies, all while spending hundreds of millions for land classic sitcoms like Seinfeld, The Office, and Friends.

Finally, 6 percent of respondents said a poor user experience would make them cancel.

Streaming interfaces are famously unintuitive to navigate when you're trying to wade through a seemingly infinite pile of content to find something to watch.

Speaking of which, 3 percent said offensive content and 2 percent said "too much content" would be enough for them to cancel a service.

The video streaming war will be fought over viewers.

Among the deep-pocketed, big-budget streaming services entering an already-crowded market in the next year, which players can snag the most subscribers? Is there room for all of them?

Daxdi recently surveyed 1,001 US streaming subscribers on a variety of streaming topics and preferences: whether they share passwords and with whom; if they plan on subscribing to new services like Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock; and how much they're willing to pay for both an individual service and for their monthly streaming budget.

We also asked what would make them cancel a service to which they already subscribe.

For the vast majority of respondents, the deciding factor in keeping or canceling a streaming service comes down to price; 65 percent said they would cancel over price increases.

Across the market, price is one of the most divisive factors.

Netflix—under pressure to maintain profits and bankroll originals—raised its prices at the beginning of 2019 from $11 to $13 a month for its most popular plan.

By contrast, Disney+ costs only $6.99 per month or $12.99 bundled with Hulu and ESPN+.

Apple TV+ is $4.99 per month, and Apple is giving a year away for free with any new device.

HBO Max will cost $14.99

Another 14 percent said they'd cancel over losing their favorite content (like Marvel movies leaving Netflix for Disney+), while 9 percent said a lack of exclusive original content would be a deciding factor.

Incumbents like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have spent billions in the past few years stockpiling original shows and movies, all while spending hundreds of millions for land classic sitcoms like Seinfeld, The Office, and Friends.

Finally, 6 percent of respondents said a poor user experience would make them cancel.

Streaming interfaces are famously unintuitive to navigate when you're trying to wade through a seemingly infinite pile of content to find something to watch.

Speaking of which, 3 percent said offensive content and 2 percent said "too much content" would be enough for them to cancel a service.