Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! Big action in streaming this week: Prime Day promotions shift the streaming landscape, UK broadcasters fight back in ad‑tier battle, and  bundling becomes mainstream in SVOD. Here are the stories making waves:

Prime Day drives steep discounts on streaming bundles

Amazon is leaning into subscriber growth with limited-time Prime Day offers: streaming bundles like Paramount+, Starz, and Apple TV+ are available as add-ons for just $0.99/month. It's a strategic push to capture budget-conscious subscribers through time-bound, low-commitment pricing models. Read more

UK broadcasters fight back in ad‑tier battle

As ad-supported plans become the norm in streaming, UK broadcasters are claiming an edge reporting up to 40% lower engagement from ad-tier viewers on U.S. platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon. It’s a reminder that engagement, not just acquisition, will define subscription success. Read the full story 

DCN report: bundling becomes mainstream in subscriptions

According to DCN’s latest Q1 data, 58% of streaming users now bundle multiple services, averaging nearly three platforms per household. Total digital subscriptions across media sectors surged to 923 million, solidifying bundling as a central tactic for both retention and upsell. Read the report

The music creator economy fuels new subscription growth

MIDiA’s new report shows 76 million global music creators are reshaping the market, driving demand for AI-powered, subscription-based tools like BandLab and LANDR. As consumer-level creators rise, recurring models are becoming the backbone of the new music ecosystem. More here

Visa and Mastercard lose fee ruling that could reshape payment costs

A UK court ruled that Visa and Mastercard’s multilateral interchange fees violate competition law—raising new questions about cost structures for recurring payments. Both companies plan to appeal, but the case could influence how subscription businesses manage payment processing at scale. Read more

Chuck E. Cheese launches Chuck’s Arcade: a new subscription experience for adults

With the launch of Chuck’s Arcade, the company is testing a subscription model for adults—bundling gameplay, perks, and nostalgia into a recurring experience. It’s the latest example of legacy entertainment brands using subscriptions to build loyalty and unlock new revenue. Full story 

Work in the most exciting industry: Open roles in subscriptions

Looking for your next opportunity? These leading subscription companies are hiring. From finance to CX roles, here’s a round-up of interesting job offerings. 

  • Unbounce: Unbounce is the leading landing page platform for building, testing, and optimizing high-converting pages

New from Recurly

The ultimate guide to subscriber retention

Retention isn’t just a strategy — it’s the secret to unstoppable growth. Our new guide reveals how top brands are flipping the funnel, turning subscribers into superfans and churn into comeback stories.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why keeping one customer is worth three new ones

  • How usage, flexibility, and personalization unlock loyalty

  • Real tactics from brands like Alaska Airlines, FabFitFun, and Twitch

  • Tools to stop churn before it happens

If you're still prioritizing acquisition over retention in 2025, you're playing last year’s game. Retention is where growth lives now. Check it out 

The ecommerce subscriptions playbook

The global ecommerce market is projected to reach $4.8 trillion, acquisition has become increasingly tricky, and retention is now the primary growth engine. How are leading brands tackling these challenges? Find out in our new guide