Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly. From fintech IPO buzz to major streaming mergers and shifting consumer habits, this week’s headlines show how payments, pricing, and platform strategies are evolving to capture and retain subscribers.

Klarna weighs IPO restart as markets rebound

Klarna is considering reviving its IPO plans as investor sentiment improves, with stabilizing interest rates and a return to profitability fueling momentum. For subscription brands, Klarna’s growth matters: its BNPL and payment solutions offer flexible checkout options that lower friction and boost conversion. A successful IPO could accelerate innovation in alternative payments — a growing lever for subscription growth. Read more

Paramount+ secures UFC rights in $7.7B mega-deal

Starting in 2026, Paramount+ will stream 13 UFC main events and 30 “Fight Nights” annually, with select bouts on CBS. The deal doubles UFC’s previous media revenue and strengthens Paramount+’s sports portfolio. Sports rights are one of the most powerful subscriber acquisition and retention levers in streaming, and this deal gives Paramount+ a marquee property to anchor long-term subscription growth. Read more

Lionsgate posts loss after Starz spin-off

Lionsgate’s Q1 loss following Starz’s separation highlights the high costs, and potential subscriber churn, of restructuring in the streaming business. The studio is refocusing on franchise IP and licensing to keep its subscription content pipeline competitive. Read more

“Friend socialism” gains ground in streaming sharing

With subscription prices climbing, more consumers are sharing accounts with friends and roommates to cut costs. This behavior challenges retention strategies and pushes platforms to innovate with pricing tiers, account-sharing policies, and bundled offers to protect recurring revenue. Read more about this trend

Peacock pilots a $7.99 ‘Select’ tier

Peacock’s mid-priced ‘Select’ tier trims library content and live sports access to attract price-sensitive subscribers. This experiment reflects the broader industry shift toward segmenting offers to reduce churn and expand the subscriber base. Read more

Disney+ to fully absorb Hulu in early 2026

Disney’s plan to merge Hulu into its streaming platform will streamline its subscriber offering, making it easier for customers to access all content in one place. This consolidation aims to reduce churn, boost engagement, and improve lifetime value without immediate price hikes. Read more

Work in the most exciting industry: Open roles in subscriptions

Looking for your next challenge? These leading companies are hiring. From software engineering to operations management, here’s a round-up of interesting job offerings. 

Fubo: Live TV streaming platform with the greatest breadth of premium content and interactivity

AccuWeather: Most used source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world

New from Recurly 

How Kudos doubled subscription revenue with Recurly Commerce

Within three months of migrating from Recharge to Recurly Commerce, Kudos cut login-related support tickets to almost zero, integrated seamlessly with Shopify, and unlocked effortless gifting, discounts, and app integrations. 

Resulting in 200% more subscription revenue, a 102% increase in AOV, and more first-time customers choosing subscriptions over one-time purchases — all while delivering a frictionless checkout. Read the full story

New report: What subscribers want

Explore the full findings from our latest study of over 1,000 consumers in the U.S. and EMEA. This interactive report breaks down what makes people sign up and stay loyal. It’s packed with data-driven recommendations to strengthen every stage of your subscriber journey. Get the report

Webinar series: What subscribers want (and won’t tolerate) 

If the report tells you what subscribers expect, this free three-part virtual series shows you how to act on it. From August 19–21, we’ll turn the data into 15-minute, actionable playbooks covering acquisition, retention, and loyalty strategies you can use right now to grow in 2025. Save your spot 

Subscription Sessions: Going global

We’re bringing the secrets to global expansion  to you. On September 24th, go inside the growth strategies powering global subscription brands. 

Four sessions. No fluff. Just the tactics to scale smarter and keep more subscribers, anywhere in the world. Save your spot