Netflix Is On A Subscriber Loss Spree, Here’s Why! – The Mobile Indian

When it comes to subscription streaming services, Netflix is ​​a juggernaut that needs no introduction. The OTT platform has long dominated the content streaming business despite a sharp rise in competition.

But all is not rose and pink in the world of Netflix. The service recently announced that for the first time in more than a decade it had lost a large number of subscribers. According to Netflix’s Q1 2022 earnings report, the brand lost 200,000 subscribers and is expected to lose another 2 million subscribers by the end of the second quarter of the year. It’s a blow for the content streaming platform, but it’s not really a surprise. If examined closely, one can easily identify the reasons why Netflix has lost so many of its subscribers and why it might continue to lose more.

Account sharing

Since the beginning of Netflix, account sharing has been a problem that the OTT service has to deal with. It’s such a big issue that people have created memes about it and Netflix itself has seen poking fun at the issue. But it’s only funny until it affects the numbers and, unfortunately, account sharing was a major cause of Netflix’s slow growth from the start. Netflix has about 222 million subscribers worldwide, but according to the company, about 100 million families, 30 million of which are present in the United States and Canada, use the streaming platform without paying.

russian angle

But it’s a problem that’s been with Netflix from the start, something that might hold it back but not cripple it. One of the biggest and most modern reasons why Netflix subscriber numbers have dropped is that like many other brands, Netflix has also pulled its services from Russia.

Since Russia declared war on Ukraine, Netflix and many other brands have stopped providing their products and services in the country. Netflix revealed that because of this decision, the content streaming business lost around 700,000 subscribers.

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Pricing

Another reason why Netflix has been losing subscribers recently is because of price hikes. In early 2022, Netflix increased subscription fees in the United States and Canada. Due to this additional cost, a number of Netflix users have forgone their subscriptions. According to Netflix, the service lost around 600,000 accounts in North America after the price hike in January 2022.

work-life balance

As life slowly gets back on track, people are going back to their normal lives and are unable to watch throughout the day as they did when the pandemic had just hit the world. This may also be one of the reasons why Netflix is ​​seeing a drop in its subscriber stats.

Competition

To top it off, over the past few years, many new content streaming services have surfaced (too many). All of these have not only made the OTT business more competitive, but also made it more confusing for users to track all services. Every platform has something new, something different to offer, and many come with lower subscription fees, meaning it has become quite easy for users to switch from one streaming service to another. another.

But while Netflix has seen a drop in subscription numbers, that certainly doesn’t mean the party is over for the streaming industry. It only means that Netflix has to pull up its socks. Judging by the stats, we won’t be surprised if Netflix announces a tougher password-sharing policy, introduces another price hike, starts including even more content on the platform, and might even offer ad-supported content at a lower price (or even free). rates.

Casey J. Nelson