Trials & bundles: News from Netflix, Disney, Apple, and more

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! As we close 2023, we get the first hints of what the industry holds in 2024: subscription trials and bundles–if done correctly. Several streaming companies have decided to bundle up to acquire and retain more subscribers amid the cost-of-living crisis like Netflix and Max, Disney+...

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Keeping subscribers engaged, news from Nuuly, BBC & Disney+

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This issue is all about how brands deliver value to subscribers. We review Nuuly and the BBC’s subscription success, Disney+’s subscriber-exclusive offers, Tumblr’s subscription service goodbye, and the new Instacart-Peacock partnership.  Urban Outfitters continues to struggle. Its clothing rental brand, Nuuly, is another story Four...

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Announcing Recurly's new integration with the Braze customer engagement platform

We're thrilled to announce the new integration between Recurly and Braze,  an industry-leading customer engagement platform that automates personalized cross-channel communications to enhance engagement, drive retention, and improve the user experience. The integration combines real-time subscription data from Recurly with the Braze customer engagement platform, allowing you to craft and...

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FTC dark patterns, Max deals, and news from Amazon & Roblox

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week, we review the FTC’s charges against Amazon and Roblox’s new creator subscriptions. We check Amazon’s new deal with Snapchat–allowing for in-app purchases, Getty Image’s subscriber growth, and WBD price drop for the holiday season. FTC presses to proceed with 'dark patterns' charges against...

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Subscriptions on the rise, news from Meta, AppleTV & ChatGPT

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week, we review Meta’s new subscription for European users and AppleTV’s struggle to engage with subscribers–despite its impressive market share. We talk about ChatGPT’s high subscription demand and the growing trend of restaurant memberships in the U.S. Ad-free Instagram and Facebook are here Meta...

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Behavioral Economics, Tech & AI, news from ChatGPT and X

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! In this issue, we review the behavioral techniques that drive sustainable growth in digital media and how a robust infrastructure makes a difference in high-volume subscription situations. We also check on ChatGPT’s builder option, xAI’s upcoming chatbot, and Crunchyroll’s mobile games vault. The power of...

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Streaming grows with ad tiers, news from Disney+ & Netflix

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week, we learn how streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix drive acquisition through ad-supported plans. We also review Meta’s new subscription plan to meet data protection regulations in Europe, X’s new subscription tiers, and Tinder’s short-term subscription options for younger users.  Disney says subscribers...

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Payments innovation, price raises & new offers from Netflix and X

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time, we review the future of digital payments and the importance of well-structured, secure, and personalized experiences. We also check on Spotify’s Q3 results, Apple’s price increase, Netflix’s gaming strategy to improve acquisition, and X’s upcoming premium tiers.  Payments innovation starts with infrastructure and...

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Fall 2023 | Product launch summary

It’s fall, and as you enjoy (or eschew) your pumpkin spice latte, read on for the season’s bounty of new Recurly features. This release has more of everyone’s favorite treat—data and analytics. App management goes full circle Now app management has even more power to inform and help manage your...

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Fighting subscription fatigue, plus news from Netflix and X

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time, we review how streaming companies can get smart about retention–combatting churn and subscription fatigue effectively. We review Netflix’s Q3 results and its plans to raise prices, and X’s upcoming test for a $1 annual subscription. Let’s dive in! The streaming world needs to...

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How bundles & features boost revenue, news from X, Amazon & Netflix

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time, we review how bundles have helped subscription companies–especially in the digital publishing sector–to increase their customer base. We check on X’s subscription tiers test, Amazon’s “Buy Again” feature, and Netflix UK’s slowed-down growth.  Bundling up: The secret to subscriber success Top news organizations...

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Writers’ strike impact on streaming, news from TikTok, Meta & Spotify

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time we review the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike on streaming services. We check on TikTok and Meta’s ad-free subscriptions, and Spotify’s audiobook benefits for subscribers. What’s a subscriber? The writers’ deal makes that question more important The guild’s deal with the Alliance of...

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Subscriptions evolve: News from Prime, X, Netflix & Meta

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time, we review Prime’s plans for ad-free streaming options, X’s new features for Premium members, Netflix’s last red envelope send, and Meta’s VR subscription bundle.  Amazon to roll out ads on Prime Video in 2024 Prime Video will join streaming rivals in rolling out...

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Brands offer subscriptions, users love them: News from X, Snapchat & Disney

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time, we review the potential X subscription service, Disney+’s subscriber shortfall, Roblox's new in-experience subscriptions, Snapchat+’s user growth, and Revel’s successful fundraising for car subscription expansion.  Twitter, now X, is moving to a small monthly subscription Elon Musk discussed his plans for X–he said...

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Subscriptions everywhere: News from The Economist, Deezer, Dancer & Caravelo

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This is a very international edition–we’ll review The Economist’s new subscription tier, Deezer and Universal’s artist-centric streaming model, Dance’s e-bike subscriber growth, Caravelo’s funding to expand all-you-can-fly subscriptions, and a special invite to Subscription Sessions–the industry event of the year.  You're invited to Subscription Sessions:...

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Give subscribers what they want: News from Disney+, BMW, Spotify & Patreon

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly–the newsletter that keeps you on top of subscription content. In this issue, we review Disney+ price cuts, BMW’s refocus on subscription services, Spotify’s premium content testing, and Patreon’s new features for creators.  Disney+ cuts price to $2 in limited-time offer For the next two weeks,...

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Loyalty discounts keep subscribers happy, news from Twitch, Google & Pret

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time, we discuss how price-conscious offers and loyalty rewards help streaming businesses curb churn. We review Twitch’s new requirements for its Partner Plus program, Google’s Pixel subscription shutdown, and Pret’s international expansion to the U.S. and France.  1 in 3 people with streaming subscriptions...

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Ad tiers, password-sharing & loyalty: News from Netflix, Apple, and Peloton

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week, we review the ad tier and password-sharing crackdown efficiency, Peloton’s subscriber losses, Apple Podcast's new creator tools, and the subscription pricing for the travel and hospitality industry. Let’s dive in.  Why streaming services are pushing subscribers to ad tiers With better margins and...

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Profitability & growth plans: News from WBD, Disney+, and Apple

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This time, we review how streaming brands stack up in subscribers and revenue, why profitability is more than just subscriber growth, and why we might see more streaming mergers in the future. We also review Apple’s ecosystem driving customer loyalty and the FTC click-to-cancel amendment....

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Streaming price increase & subscriber loss, news from Paramount & Disney+

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week, we review the price increase in streaming companies, Spotify’s new integration with Patreon for pay-walled podcasts, and the Q2 results for streaming video on-demand (SVOD) brands like Paramount+ and Disney+. Let’s dive in!  Why are streaming companies raising prices? Companies are being squeezed...

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Retaining Subscribers in Q3 & beyond, news from Max, NYT, and X

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week, we look back at the Q1 and Q2 results for leading media subscription brands–the results are surprising. We also check on X Blue, former Twitter Blue’s, new feature to hide checkmarks.  Warner Bros. Discovery loses 1.8M subscribers amid Max rebrand Warner Bros. Discovery...

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Exclusivity delights subscribers, news from Spotify, AppleTV & Instagram

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This week, we review Spotify’s price hike, Apple’s MLS streaming service boost after Messi’s arrival, and Instagram’s creator subscription launch in more countries. We also discuss what the Q2 earnings season tells us about the state of global payments and the tenets of a successful...

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