Robert A. Iger Assumes Role of Executive Chairman through 2021

Mr. Iger Will Direct the Company’s Creative Endeavors

Mr. Chapek Brings 27 Years of Successful Leadership Experience across Disney’s Parks, Consumer Products and Studio Businesses

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Board of Directors announced today that Bob Chapek has been named Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company, effective immediately.

Mr. Chapek most recently served as Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

Robert A. Iger assumes the role of Executive Chairman and will direct the Company’s creative endeavors, while leading the Board and providing the full benefit of his experience, leadership and guidance to ensure a smooth and successful transition through the end of his contract on Dec. 31, 2021.

“With the successful launch of Disney’s direct-to-consumer businesses and the integration of Twenty-First Century Fox well underway, I believe this is the optimal time to transition to a new CEO,” Mr. Iger said. “I have the utmost confidence in Bob and look forward to working closely with him over the next 22 months as he assumes this new role and delves deeper into Disney’s multifaceted global businesses and operations, while I continue to focus on the Company’s creative endeavors.”

Mr. Iger added: “Bob will be the seventh CEO in Disney’s nearly 100-year history, and he has proven himself exceptionally qualified to lead the Company into its next century. Throughout his career, Bob has led with integrity and conviction, always respecting Disney’s rich legacy while at the same time taking smart, innovative risks for the future. His success over the past 27 years reflects his visionary leadership and the strong business growth and stellar results he has consistently achieved in his roles at Parks, Consumer Products and the Studio. Under Bob’s leadership as CEO, our portfolio of great businesses and our amazing and talented people will continue to serve the Company and its shareholders well for years to come.”

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to assume the role of CEO of what I truly believe is the greatest company in the world, and to lead our exceptionally talented and dedicated cast members and employees,” Mr. Chapek said. “Bob Iger has built Disney into the most admired and successful media and entertainment company, and I have been lucky to enjoy a front-row seat as a member of his leadership team. I share his commitment to creative excellence, technological innovation and international expansion, and I will continue to embrace these same strategic pillars going forward. Everything we have achieved thus far serves as a solid foundation for further creative storytelling, bold innovation and thoughtful risk-taking.”

Susan Arnold, independent Lead Director of the Disney Board, said, “The Board has been actively engaged in succession planning for the past several years, and after consideration of internal and external candidates, we unanimously elected Bob Chapek as the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Mr. Chapek has shown outstanding leadership and a proven ability to deliver strong results across a wide array of businesses, and his tremendous understanding of the breadth and depth of the Company and appreciation for the special connection between Disney and its consumers makes him the perfect choice as the next CEO.

“Mr. Chapek will also benefit from the guidance of one of the world’s most esteemed and successful business leaders, Bob Iger,” Ms. Arnold continued. “Over the past 15 years as CEO, Mr. Iger has transformed The Walt Disney Company, building on the Company’s history of great storytelling with the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and Twenty-First Century Fox and increasing the Company’s market capitalization fivefold. Disney has reached unparalleled financial and creative heights thanks to Mr. Iger’s strong leadership and clear strategic vision. We believe Mr. Chapek’s leadership and commitment to this strategy will ensure that the Company continues to create significant value for our shareholders in the years ahead.”

In Mr. Chapek’s new role as CEO, he will directly oversee all of the Company’s business segments and corporate functions. Mr. Chapek will report to the Executive Chairman, Mr. Iger, and the Board of Directors. He will be appointed to the Board at a later date. A new head of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products will be named at a future time.

Mr. Chapek served as Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products since the segment’s creation in 2018, and prior to that was Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts since 2015.

As Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Mr. Chapek oversaw the Company’s largest business segment, with operations around the globe and more than 170,000 employees worldwide. The segment includes Disney’s iconic travel and leisure businesses, encompassing six resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia, a top-rated cruise line, a popular vacation ownership program, and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Disney’s global consumer products operations include the world’s leading licensing business across toys, apparel, home goods, digital games and apps, the world’s largest children’s print publisher, Disney store locations around the world, and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.

During his tenure at the Parks segment, Mr. Chapek oversaw the opening of Disney’s first theme park and resort in mainland China, Shanghai Disney Resort; the addition of numerous guest offerings across Disney’s six resort destinations in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including the creation of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World and the addition of Marvel-inspired attractions around the globe; and the expansion of Disney Cruise Line with the announced construction of three new ships.

From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Chapek was President of the former Disney Consumer Products segment, where he drove the technology-led transformation of the Company’s consumer products, retail and publishing operations. Prior to that, he served as President of Distribution for The Walt Disney Studios and was responsible for overseeing the Studios’ overall content distribution strategy across multiple platforms including theatrical exhibition, home entertainment, pay TV, digital entertainment and new media. He also served as President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, where he spearheaded the successful “vault strategy” for the Company’s iconic films and transformed the primary format of home entertainment from DVD to Blu-ray.

Before joining Disney in 1993, Mr. Chapek worked in brand management at H.J. Heinz Company and in advertising at J. Walter Thompson.

Hulu’s Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Campbell is being promoted to President of Hulu, it was announced today by Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment, to whom Campbell will report.

In this role, Campbell will manage Hulu’s suite of on demand and live streaming businesses. She will work closely with Disney’s television and film studios on Hulu’s original content, and with other DTCI leaders on the integration of key aspects of Hulu’s operations across the segment.

“Kelly is an immensely talented leader who has been a driving force in defining Hulu’s brand vision and strategy,” said Mayer. “She has built a tremendous multi-talented team and developed strategic campaigns that helped double Hulu’s subscriber base. Our senior leadership team is excited to welcome her aboard and can’t wait to work together to further grow Hulu’s footprint in the US and beyond.”

“This is a time of extraordinary growth and transformation for Hulu, and I am incredibly energized by the opportunity ahead as we enter into this next chapter,” said Campbell. “The Hulu team is among the brightest, most technologically and creatively audacious in the industry, and I know we are going to do great things as part of the pioneering and equally bold team Kevin has built at DTCI.”

As Hulu’s CMO, Campbell was responsible for subscriber growth; brand, content and business-to-business marketing; creative development; research and insights; and viewer experience. Prior to Hulu, she spent 12 years at Google in various leadership and marketing roles across the Google Ads and Google Cloud businesses, including a year in Google Japan building the Online Sales and Operations functions. She began her career in finance as an investment banking analyst at JPMorgan Chase.

Campbell has earned many accolades for leading Hulu’s marketing efforts, including being honored as one of Business Insider’s Most Innovative CMOs, the Adweek 50, AdAge’s Women to Watch and FierceCable’s The Fierce 50: Executives Reshaping the Business of PayTV. Most recently, she was named one of Forbes’ Most Influential Global CMOs for embracing transparency in influencer marketing.

New sector specific reports from The Insights People will be headed by new recruit Utku Tansel, LLB, MBA

Kids Insights, part of the Insights People, is delighted to announce the launch of its new Global Insight Reports, which will cover eight sectors including Devices, Video Games, Cosmetics, Fashion and will be launching with its first Toys & Games report which is available in March.

The reports will be based on Kids Insights surveying 125,000 children across 8 countries across 4 continents each year, with the analysis being undertaken by industry expert Utku Tansel who joins them as Head of Global Insights Reports.  Tansel brings 15 years of success in research and analysis having worked for companies such as Euromonitor and WARC. 

Nick Richardson, CEO The Insights People comments, “In the last 12 months we have firmly established ourselves as the global leader in kids market intelligence, and we are now perfectly positioned to provide clients with a global viewpoint based on our considerable data. This enables us to offer sector - specific analysis and insight, which further helps our clients understand the attitudes, behaviour and consumption of children relating to their product areas. And as we grow into other regions, we will be able to include that incorporate that data into these reports”

Utku will be responsible for the strategic producing of the Kids Insights Global Insight reports: Toy and Games Report 2020 (issued March 2020), Video Games Report 2020 (issued April 2020), Food and Drinks Report 2020 (issued June 2020), Electronics Report 2020 (issued August 2020), Health and Beauty Report 2020 (issued September 2020), Clothing Report 2020 (issued October 2020), Marketing & Engaging Kids Executive Report 2020 (issued December 2020). 

Commenting on his new appointment, Utku said, “I am really excited to join The Insights People. I have been extremely impressed by their approach and look forward to working with them to develop these global reports, which firmly establishes themselves as the global leader in kids, parents and family market intelligence”

The Kids Insights Global Toy & Games report will be available in March and will feature how the toys industry is adapting to transformative times by embracing sustainability and inclusivity while AR & AI push limits on innovation - driven largely by ever - rising smartphone/tablet penetration among children. In the US, a substantial 63.5% of 3-9s own a tablet and 65.1% of 10-14-year olds own a mobile. Kids Insights data also highlights that 66.2% of parents spend up to £49 (US$64.40) on toys & games on a monthly basis in the UK. Within this bracket, 82.8% of purchases are made by women. In pocket money toys, kids’ rising financial empowerment drives sales and there is an intense battle over kids’ allowance. In Italy, puzzles accounted for almost one - fifth of all pocket money toy purchases in 2019, the highest in the world. The escalated streaming wars will increasingly shape content while the potential and growth from YouTube and Gaming licensed products are high. The research shows that the kid-spending economy on toys & games in the UK is worth £969m ($1.26bn), and in the US - $5.95bn.

Talent, technology and process drive growth and retention, earning OMD’s second consecutive Global Agency of the Year title

Omnicom Media Group agency OMD had the best net new business performance of any global media network in 2019 as reported today by COMvergence, the international independent research company.  

In the COMvergence Media Agency New Business Barometer report released today, OMD tops the ranking with $2.02b in net new business values. 

The agency also led the industry in retention, successfully defending more than $1.2b in business that had been in play in 2019 – approximately a half billion more than its closest competitor.

The COMvergence New Business Barometer completes a trifecta of first place net new business rankings  for OMD in 2019, following reports from global consultancy R3 and media agency research company RECMA published earlier this year.  Today’s report also bookends the agency’s first place ranking in COMvergence’s 2019 Global Media Agency Rankings and Billings report published in December, which showed the agency leading the industry with billings of $19.6B ($1.7b more than second ranked agency); and with a growth rate of +6.1% that  dramatically outpaced the industry’s flat 0.6% growth rate.

The New Business Barometer report drops as OMD was named Global Media Agency of the Year for the second consecutive year by Adweek, a leading advertising industry publication. The accolade marks the sixth time that OMD has been named Adweek Global Media Agency of the year since 2010. Profiling the agency in its February 24th issue, Adweek credits OMD for sustaining the stunning 2018 comeback that earned it the Global Media Agency of the Year title last year; and for leveraging that momentum to support the continuing investments in talent, technology and process that would make winning a repeatable process in 2019, and into the new decade. 

Commenting on the collective affirmation of OMD’s industry leading performance in 2019, OMD Worldwide CEO Florian Adamski comments: “OMD is starting the new decade with greater-than-ever capacity and commitment to delivering better decisions, better ideas and better outcomes – faster - for our clients all around the world.”

In Asia-Pacific, where the network picked up 104 new pieces of business in 2019, the success is credited to its talent and product development. Stephen Li, CEO of OMD Asia-Pacific, says: “It’s taken a lot of hard work to remain at the top of the charts over the past 12 months. 2019 has been a pivotal year for us – not just in terms of new business success, but also the efforts we’ve placed in the development of our talent and product in Asia-Pacific in order to truly make Better Decisions, Faster a reality for our clients and their organisations. Therefore, these latest recognitions belong to the entire network of OMDers and our clients, whose dedication and commitment have made 2019 another year for the books.”

The focus: an unprecedented joint operation of the CIA and Mossad to assassinate Imad Mughniyeh – a Hezbollah co-founder who, with the exception of Bin Laden, topped the CIA and FBI Most Wanted list.

Mughniyeh was purportedly behind dozens of terrorist operations, including the embassy and barracks bombings in Lebanon, multiple kidnappings of Americans, hijacking of airlines, and attacks in Buenos Aires, including the bombing the Israeli Embassy there. U.S. intelligence officials accused him of killing more United States citizens than any other man prior to the September 11 attacks. He was also a close ally of General Suleimani, working with him to export the Iranian revolution to Iraq after the invasion, at the cost of many American lives. The concentrated two year hunt for Mughniyeh in the mid 2000’s became one the largest, most expensive and complicated in history. They got him as he exited a restaurant and walked past a parked car in Damascus in 2008, with Mossad agents triggering a bomb that had been placed in a spare tire. Mughniyeh was killed instantly.

The series will be executive produced by Adler, Keshet International’s Avi Nir, Peter Traugott, Alon Shtruzman, and the author. Adler’s credits include the films The Operative and Bethlehem, and he directed two episodes of Shooter. He wrapped the Joel Kinnaman / Noomi Rapace drama The Secrets We Keep for AGC Studios and Lorenzo di Bonaventura Productions.

When the book was acquired by Keshet and HBO, the ambition was to use Rise and Kill First as a way to create and co-produce an English-language limited series shot in Israel that could be reprised by covering different missions. As evidenced by the recent drone strike against Suleimani in Iraq, there seems to be no shortage of these to focus upon. An investigative reporter for the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth and a New York Times Magazine staff writer, Bergman took the book’s title from the Talmud: “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first.” That has been a cornerstone principle in protecting Israelis from terrorists, and much of that has come through targeted assassinations, many done pre-emptively to take out enemies and suicide bombers before they strike.

Bergman had unprecedented cooperation from many former Israeli prime ministers, along with more than 100 interviews from the chiefs of the Israeli defense establishment and Intelligence committee to actual operatives and assassins. This allowed him to chronicle many of the highest-profile operations — some of which succeeded and some of which did not — and with all the ethical and moral dilemmas considered.

Among the prolific Keshet’s productions is Hatufim (Prisoners of War), the Israeli drama that was the basis for the Emmy-winning long running Showtime series Homeland. which heads into its final season.

The One Where They Got Back Together

The Friends Cast Set to Reunite for Exclusive HBO Max Special   Unscripted Cast Reunion Special, Along with All 236 episodes of the Emmy®-Winning Series, will be Available to Subscribers at the Launch of HBO Max

It’s official, Friends fans! After 15 years, nine months, and innumerable fan requests from around the globe, we now have the ‘brand-new information’ you’ve been waiting for. The Friends cast will be reuniting exclusively for an untitled unscripted special for HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in May 2020.

Series stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer will return to the iconic comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank for a celebration of the beloved show. The unscripted cast reunion special, along with all 236 episodes of the Emmy®-winning series, will be available to subscribers at the launch of HBO Max.

“Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together — we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max and president, TBS, TNT, and truTV. “I became aware of Friends when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation. It taps into an era when friends – and audiences – gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans.”

Ben Winston will direct the special and will executive produce along with Friends executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. The special hails from Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television and Fulwell 73 Productions. Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer will also executive produce the special. Emma Conway and James Longman are co-executive producers.

To get caught up on original Friends episodes, sister WarnerMedia network TBS recently announced that for the next four weeks every episode of Friends will air on TBS and livestream on the TBS app, weekdays from 10:00am – 4:00pm. Additionally, the network has curated an experience for fans offering the best of the series on their digital platforms. 

The International News Media Association (INMA) today announced 173 finalists for the 2020 Global Media Awards competition, which rewards innovation and excellence growing audience, brand, and revenue.

This year’s competition generated 824 entries from 242 news brands in 44 countries. Finalists hail from Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

India has the higher number of finalists with 29, followed by the United States with 27, Norway with 14, and Australia with 12.

In terms of companies, leading the INMA shortlist with finalists are News Corp; Jagran; Schibsted; Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd. (Times Group); Russmedia; and Stuff.

INMA has rewarded excellence in news media since 1937. This year across 15 categories, the Global Media Awards competition rewards innovation in building news brands, platform excellence, audience development, advertising sales, and nurturing corporate culture. Entries also are divided into two groups: global/national brands and regional/local brands.

Some 42 media experts from 20 countries judged the competition in February, focusing on breakthrough results, unique concepts, strong creativity, innovative thinking, and winning synergies across media platforms.

First place winners, regional winners, and the coveted global “Best in Show” will be unveiled at the April 28 closing dinner of the 90th Annual INMA World Congress of News Media at the historic Opera Ballroom of the Intercontinental Le Grand in Paris.

All 824 entries in this year’s Global Media Awards competition are live on INMA.org in the association’s Best Practices archive. Finalists may be viewed publicly, while all other entries are reserved exclusively for INMA members. INMA has nearly 6,000 “best practices” from the past nine years of Global Media Awards competition, sortable to finalists and winners, category, year, and country.

Following an agreement between Network International, the leading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and Tencent Holdings Limited, official developer of WeChat Pay, the mobile payment service will soon be widely available to Network’s merchant partners across the UAE.

WeChat Pay is a mobile payment service embedded in WeChat, the popular Chinese social messaging service that boasts more than 1 billion users registered globally. The collaboration will enable millions of Chinese tourists to transact seamlessly, safely and securely with Network International’s extensive merchant network in UAE via their WeChat mobile wallet.

“We are excited to work with Tencent Holdings to offer WeChat Pay to our clients across the UAE. Our agreement brings an incredible opportunity to the UAE’s retail and hospitality sectors, helping them cater to the growing demand from Chinese visitors,” said Paul Clarke, Group Head of Product & Innovation, Network International. “As a market leader in end-to-end payment solutions, we are delighted to enable our network of merchant partners in the UAE to keep pace with new technologies, offering them a competitive edge.”

Network International, the UAE’s largest merchant acquirer, is committed to technology innovation and partnerships aimed at enhancing the UAE’s retail economy. The company will act as both settlement partner (acquirer) and solution provider to enable mobile-based transactions via WeChat Pay at points of sale and for online purchases. 

It’s no secret that marketing has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. Digital channels now capture over half of all advertising spending in the U.S. Understanding that marketing has changed doesn’t mean you know how to navigate the new landscape or what others in the field are doing to keep up.

As the new decade unfolds, follow these five new truths of marketing to stay ahead.

GUT FEEL DOESN’T CUT IT ANYMORE (AND PROBABLY NEVER SHOULD HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE) 

Digital’s expanding influence means marketers have to be much more agile in allocating their precious media dollars, but calculating the ROI for digital investments can be tough. Our survey found that when the going got tough, investments in paid digital media channels became the product of gut feel more than quantifiable ROI metrics. This is a scary proposition when millions of dollars are at stake.

While such digital marketing investments may indeed be worthwhile, it’s time for marketers to seek out measurement solutions to back up gut feel decisions and stop relying on assumptions. Partnering with industry experts can help organizations determine which digital marketing investments are, and aren’t, paying off.

PAY ATTENTION TO DATA QUALITY 

When it comes to accurate measurement, the key to having high-quality output is having high-quality input. As the saying goes, “good data in, good data out.” Yet we found that audience targeting, ad creative, and audience reach are global marketers’ top three priorities for marketing campaigns. Data quality comes in fourth. Placing such a low priority on data quality dramatically increases the risks that your marketing investments will be less effective, or even worse, simply off-target.

Marketers shouldn’t under-value the importance of data quality. Instead, they should focus on increasing data quality just as much as they focus on targeting and reaching audiences. After all, none of that targeting will hit the mark if the data that sustains it isn’t accurate.

RE-EVALUATE THE ROLE OF PROMOTIONS 

Most of us have leafed through coupon books in the Sunday newspaper in search of a discount for a local restaurant, air conditioning service, etc. Those one-for-all coupon books are good examples of what trade promotions used to be. But today, most consumers aren’t saving, clipping, or carrying around paper coupons. Instead, they’re using digital shopping apps, digital coupons and acting on personalized offers.

In today’s digital marketing world, trade promotions are ripe for disruption. Now’s the time for forward-thinking organizations to re-evaluate the role of trade promotions for their brands. Prepare for tech-enabled promotions and use them to learn about your customers, including their motivations and shopping behaviors.

START PREPARING FOR CONNECTED TV 

Connected TV has the potential to be a bridge between traditional and digital media, combining the reach and captive audience of TV with the addressability of paid search and video. To date, adoption has been hampered by various challenges, such as internal knowledge gaps, organizational buy-in, and media planning efficiency. 

But industry partners are ramping up connected TV measurement solutions and organizations need to sharpen their in-house skill sets to prepare. Good first steps include running small-scale campaigns as well as forming media and technology partnerships to hit the ground running when connected TV breaks open.

REPRIORITIZE YOUR CUSTOMER PRIORITIES 

It’s human nature to like shiny new things, whether it’s a new gadget, a new city, a new marketing channel, or new customers. But that’s not always a wise strategy for customer retention.

According to our survey results, customer churn is the last priority when it comes to companies’ marketing objectives. Believe it or not, many brands rank acquiring new customers as their top marketing objective instead of investing in and focusing on retaining existing customers.

This lack of emphasis on churn is a missed opportunity for marketers. Studies have shown total spending is highly concentrated among a small segment of customers, proving that the 80/20 rule (that 20% of your customers drive 80% of your revenue) still holds true. 

With global disloyalty growing, brands need to adjust their marketing tactics and investments to boost retention. For marketers, that means segmenting high-value customers and developing media planning and messaging strategies for the best, not the rest.

MAKING DIGITAL MARKETING INVESTMENTS PAY OFF

With digital marketing, it’s impossible to slow down the rate of change. That’s why it’s vital to step back and make sure your brand’s digital marketing investments are paying off.

Rather than relying on gut feel for what’s working, organizations should seek out partners that can help them quantify ROI for digital marketing, increase data quality for better marketing effectiveness, prepare for broader connected TV adoption, and identify ways to boost loyalty of high-value customers.

Authored By Lana Busignani, EVP, U.S. Analytics

A new age of media is upon us. As a number of powerful media companies enter the streaming video marketplace in a very big way, choice in this promising arena has never been greater. The clamor to get involved in the streaming boom is certainly growing louder, but when it comes to determining successes and failures, the consumer is the ultimate decider.

Content creators and platforms battling for audiences will be happy to know that consumers are willing to crown multiple champions. According to a special Streaming Wars edition of the Nielsen Total Audience Report, which serves as the industry’s premiere source of media truth across platforms, people and devices, consumers in OTT-capable homes are spending nearly one-fifth (19%) of their TV time streaming content, be it through ad-supported or paid subscription models. That’s a hefty amount of the already large media diet of audiences today, especially considering that the medium has only existed for a relatively short period of time. Not to mention, it’s a prime opportunity to easily reach consumers in the digital age, using interfaces that feel familiar and comfortable to them.

The report also notes that 60% of Americans subscribe to more than one paid video streaming service. Better still—especially for platforms entering the streaming market—is that 93% of U.S. consumers say they will either increase or keep their existing streaming services.

With the streaming arms race heating up and consumer attention still up for grabs, what factors are compelling people to not only retain their streaming subscriptions, but perhaps acquire new ones as well?

A consumer that doesn’t place cost as an important virtue is rare, and that’s no different in the streaming world. According to survey respondents, price is the most vital attribute for a quality streaming service. This puts the impetus on platforms to satisfy customers’ return on investment while being affordable enough for the rest of their media habits. In fact, when asked about what made them cancel a paid video subscription service, 42% said they didn’t use it enough to justify the cost.

42% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WEREN’T USING A SERVICE ENOUGH TO MAKE THE COST WORTH IT

User-friendly interactivity plays a key role for streaming services and ranked second in consumer importance. Frustrating user experiences or hard to navigate interfaces may not bode well when it comes to subscriber retention, especially when the internet has cultivated a culture of convenience and consumers have a bevy of other media choices available to them. Of course, content is also of major importance for consumers, as the variety and availability of it placed in the top three of video streaming attributes.

While there’s myriad attributes that make a streaming service attractive to users, the content is what ultimately gets them to type out their credit card number and hit “Enter.” The top four reasons as to why survey participants decided to subscribe to additional streaming services were all content-based, with the top reason being to expand the content that they had available. 

Content has always been king, but with the growth of streaming, content creators and rights owners are effectively given more power. Platforms must be able to maintain the programs that audiences want while offering compelling new ones to keep them interested. Wherever good content goes, subscribers will follow. When that content runs out, don’t be surprised when some of the subscribers do too: 20% of consumers said they canceled a service after watching all the content that they were interested in.

We’ve only just entered the first chapter of the Streaming Wars, but rest assured that the fight will continue. The platforms that can adapt to the marketplace may rise to the top; should they not continue to evolve nor expand their content libraries, then consumers just might replace them.