Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly, where the latest trends and updates on everything subscription and payments related are served with a side of fun. First up on our radar, we've got Google Pay taking a graceful bow in the U.S.; streaming revenue is set to steal the spotlight from pay TV subscriptions, and the streaming saga doesn't end there because 2023 saw a wild game of streaming hopscotch. Last but definitely not least, we've got Tabby strutting onto the scene with a game-changing subscription service. 

Google Pay takes a bow

Google Pay is retiringin the U.S. this year. Google announced the news in a blog post, saying they wanted to simplify things. Instead, Google's suggesting folks use Google Wallet, especially if you're on Android. Read more on Payments Dive. 

Grab the remote: streaming's taking the lead over pay TV subscribers

Streaming is about to take over pay TV in the U.S. According to Ampere Analysis, by the third quarter of 2024, streaming revenue is expected to surpass pay TV subscription revenue for the first time ever. It's been a long time coming; streaming subscriptions actually surpassed pay TV back in 2016 in terms of subscribers, but the money side of things is finally catching up. Read more on The Hollywood Reporter.  

Subscribers played a game of streaming hopscotch in 2023

According to a report from Antenna Research, last year saw the weakest growth in streaming subscriptions since the pandemic began. Despite this slowdown, the total number of subscriptions still reached a hefty 242.9 million by the end of 2023. But here's the twist: a good chunk of those who canceled ended up coming back. Read more on Forbes.

Tabby's new subscription service says 'yes' to more BNPL

Tabby, the shopping and financial services app making waves in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE, just dropped a new subscription service. With over 600,000 Tabby Cards already in circulation in the UAE, this new subscription service allows customers to make daily purchases like groceries, utilities, fuel, and food delivery apps, anywhere Visa is accepted. Read more on PYMNTS.

The rise of click-to-cancel is here to make things simple

You know that annoying feeling when you're trying to cancel a subscription, but it seems like the company is doing everything it can to keep you roped in? Well, there's some buzz about a proposed solution called the "click-to-cancel" button. The idea is to make ending a subscription as easy as starting one, which could save us all a lot of time and frustration. Read more on Digital Transactions. 

📣 Save your spot! Let’s talk about subscription packing and pricing with the experts

Join us on March 7th as leading consumer pricing experts share tactical strategies to maximize subscription revenue. Learn how to strategically set prices for both new and existing subscribers—while adopting a flexible pricing approach—and explore the power of technology to enable personalization within pricing and packaging. Register here for the Subscription pricing & packaging virtual event.

🗓️ Save the date! Subscription Sessions: we’re dishing out the secrets to retention, loyalty, and churn management

A free virtual conference, no fluff, and from the comfort of your desk. We’ll dive into tactics and real-world examples that will provide your growth, product, tech, and finance teams with the tips they need to drive retention, renewals, and upsells. Register here for the event.

📑 Download subscription stats for success

Uncover benchmarks and predictions drawn from Recurly’s database of more than 2,200 global brands and 58 million unique subscribers in our The 2024 State of Subscriptions report, crafted to provide unique insights and trends to guide your growth strategy in 2024. Download the report.

From the Recurly blog