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Netflix Loses Subscribers for the First Time in 10 Years, Blames Account Sharing

Realityck said:
Funny I can't get excited about HBO Max, comparably. I hate their web site navigation. Yes it has a lot of movies in HD content, but rather skinflints when it comes to offering anything HDR based.
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I’m not upset about the lack of HDR or 4K. It would be nice, but it’s certainly not a dealbreaker. All of their shows look amazing on my TV. Colors are bright and blacks are pure. The only gripe I have is the AppleTV app. It’s absolute garbage. Completely unintuitive, laggy, and buggy. I don‘t know how they did it, but this new “update” is even worse than it was before. What kind of flop update?
 
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TechRunner said:
Adding my voice here, we just didn't find their offerings that compelling for the price increases we endured during our stay on the service. That, and as others have mentioned, lots of their original content isn't worth wasting the time on. Now they're considering an ad-supported tier. If it's cheap like Hulu's ad-supported tier, we'd consider coming back, as a few ads in a program don't bother us much.
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Like any other streamer it’s only worthwhile a couple months out of year. The only way I’m a sustained sub is when it’s included with Verizon or part of what I’m already paying for such as Amazon prime or perhaps apple One.

A renewed focus on quality content or whatever wont change this fact. A cheaper tier won’t change this either.

Because the bottom line is that eventually you stop or become unable to keep subscriber growth going. Streaming is a cash sink. Must have more content. Netflix has to somehow offer more value to its subs to make a sustained sub worthwhile. And Netflix as we know it can’t do it.

I can’t even pay Netflix annually. And I would expect a significant discount to do that but it also locks you in. Their whole system is designed to cause churn.
 
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residentgalah said:
The only reason I keep regular Netflix is because my family also use it intermittently. If they clamp down on account sharing there’s no reason for me to keep it for me, as I don’t use it enough by myself to justify a recurring subscription, and I doubt any of them would be taking up individual recurring subscriptions themselves if cut off. We’d all probably just subscribe when something we want to watch comes out and then cancel.

It seems like a dangerous move for Netflix to make an issue of this, because it could just as easily backfire and result in fewer people continuing subscriptions that they would otherwise just let slide through indefinitely. Forcing people to analyse whether they personally need it on an ongoing basis by being dicks about it seems risky.

Apple TV+ has less content, but it’s cheaper and in 4K by default, and I’m increasingly finding I’m watching a lot more on that than I am regularly on most of the others at the moment. It has less, but a much higher rate of stuff I think is really good and am interested in. I did not expect this.
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I agree, this is going to backfire. At this point it needs to be more about mindshare (good content) and not about marketshare (a lot of content). Word of mouth plays out big with these streaming services, so the more people you have watching, the better off you'll be. Cutting off "shared" viewers is only going to make things worse for Netflix.

Personally, the only service I'm constantly subscribed to is tv+ as it's part of AppleOne, but also because they seem to be on a roll with releasing excellent, new content. It's actually getting a little overwhelming!

As far as the other services, I usually subscribe, binge, and cancel, if there's a show worth watching, so I don't share my accounts. Actually, I would think sharing your account would also help with retention, as who is going to cancel their account if they're letting others use it?
 
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I've just cancelled them. Nothing to do with sharing the account. All to do with the recent £2.00 price increase which would have made it £5.00 per month more than HD just to access 4K content. Why?? Unacceptable. Goodbye Netflix.
 
First, I share my Netflix password only with my partner who lives in my house and my mother who is elderly for which I make no apologies. Second, Netflix already has a mechanism in place against rampant Password sharing in that they limit me to 4 screens at the same time. Finally, I am old enough to remember Netflix actually encouraging that behavior.
 
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MacFan782040 said:
Honestly, it's probably because of TikTok. TikTok is a social entertainment app. It's addicting, informative, educational, funny, and interesting. The new way forward is 3-10 minute, vertical video, mini series shows. JUST SAYIN
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Tell that to the founders of the now defunct Quibi streaming service.
 
I left because of the constant price hikes and when they lost Star Trek that was it for me. Plus Apple keeps improving and what I find interesting is that I haven't even missed Netflix.
 
MacFan782040 said:
Honestly, it's probably because of TikTok. TikTok is a social entertainment app. It's addicting, informative, educational, funny, and interesting. The new way forward is 3-10 minute, vertical video, mini series shows. JUST SAYIN
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No. No no no no no….. the world will indeed end if it goes to that.
 
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Isn't a more important reason that globally in Netflix areas the corona /covid19 lockdowns are over, so people have less time watching Netflix and others? After the hike of subscribers from 2020 onwards. Actually now they need access to the Chinese market!
 
Or maybe people got tired of repeated price hikes and left for greener pastures...

I only have Netflix because it's a no-cost benefit from T-Mobile.
 
AppleTO said:
This is all coming from a company that still offers a standard definition tier. Because some people still use tube tvs… right.
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Have you ever watched Netflix at that tier? What'd the picture look like on your 1080p or 4k television?
 
There's too many streaming services, so they'll start to cannibalize each other. I watch HBO Max more than Netflix. Netflix has a lot of content, but quality is few and far in between.
 
Dan Holmstock said:
No couldn't be the price increases and crappy content right? nah, it's just the sharers.
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They've strayed so far for so long from what made them popular. They became popular because we all universally hate cable. But now, they are basically that except worse because their content is limited, not particularly good, and doesn't have sports, etc. They lived long enough to see themselves become the villain, for sure.

Any time I have ever wanted to see Netflix shows, I subscribe for one month, watch what I wanted to see, and cancel. I don't know why everyone doesn't do this to be honest, the binge model kind of incentivizes you to just see what you want to see and be gone.
 
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It's not account sharing, it's the price raising. That's why I cancelled. $15 a month for HD, $20 for 4K? I'm good with Disney plus for only $7 a month, and they actually have good movies in 4K! Lol

Netflix has lame content, they take forever to release good shows and movies. All other platforms have the good content every month and they don't charge an arm and a leg for membership.
 
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throwaway572937 said:
They've strayed so far for so long from what made them popular. They became popular because we all universally hate cable. But now, they are basically that except worse because their content is limited, not particularly good, and doesn't have sports, etc. They lived long enough to see themselves become the villain, for sure.

Any time I have ever wanted to see Netflix shows, I subscribe for one month, watch what I wanted to see, and cancel. I don't know why everyone doesn't do this to be honest, the binge model kind of incentivizes you to just see what you want to see and be gone.
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Truth!
 
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