Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week it’s all about the challenging process of expanding globally, and how important it is for companies to understand subscribers' demands across regions. We start off with Amazon’s plan to increase Prime subscribers, TikTok’s new music streaming service in Brazil and Indonesia, and Disney’s growth strategy in the Indian market. We also review the UK’s new subscription rules.  

Amazon eyes international expansion to grow Prime subscribers

Amazon Prime Day event has grown increasingly global. The much-hyped annual promotion isn't just about selling as many products as possible—for the company, it's also about getting as many people to sign up for Prime as possible. The challenge now is establishing distinct value propositions for Prime membership by geography. Learn more on Axios. 

Subscriber preferences and behaviors vary across regions. For example, more U.S. subscribers (70%) seek exclusive products than Germans and Norwegians (53%). Or Spaniards (65%) will cancel with price increases if the services remain the same, more often than Germans (48%). These types of insights are key when developing a successful global subscription strategy. 

Download our new report, State of Subscriptions: What consumers want, to get the data you need to delight your subscribers—from acquisition to retention across generations and regions.

TikTok launches music streaming platform in Brazil, Indonesia

TikTok Music arrived in Brazil and Indonesia as ByteDance’s attempt to compete with Spotify, Apple, and Amazon. TikTok Music’s subscription will allow users to sync their accounts to save songs heard in viral videos. In Brazil, the service costs $3.49/month, and in Indonesia, iOS users pay $3.25/month, while Android users pay $2.96/month. Read more on Forbes. 

Disney exploring strategic options for its India business

Disney is reportedly exploring strategic options to sell or find a joint venture for its digital and TV business in India–including Disney+ Hotstar streaming service and Star India. According to The Wall Street Journal, the entertainment giant has held discussions with at least one bank regarding how to grow its business while sharing some of the cost. Learn more on Yahoo.

UK businesses say new subscription rules too rigorous

The broadcaster Sky and groups representing newspapers and small businesses say the government’s proposal to help consumers avoid unwanted subscription bills is too strict. According to the Financial Times, ministers want businesses to remind consumers more often before subscriptions renew automatically, and give them easier ways to get out of recurring bills–similar to the U.S. FTC regulations against overusing auto-renewals. Read more on PYMNTS.

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