Will OTT platforms have to pivot to a Pay-Per-View model?

livemint.com:

House Of The Dragon battlefield than a utopia of endless entertainment. What happened, and why does it feel like we're on the brink of a seismic shift from the beloved subscription model to a potentially grim pay-per-view (PPV) future? First, let's talk about the glut. Once upon a time you could count the number of streaming services on one hand.

Now, you need a spreadsheet to keep track. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Sony Liv, Zee 5, Apple TV+, Mubi… Each platform demands a monthly/annual fee, leaving the average viewer to handle more subscriptions than a hedge-fund manager. The fragmentation of content has not only diluted the appeal of each service, but also turned the consumer experience into a nightmare of juggling passwords and billing cycles.

Consumers are rightly wary of where their money goes, and multiple streaming services now feel less like a luxury and more like a burden. The financial strain isn't just on consumers. Streaming services are burning cash like there's no tomorrow, trying to create the next must-see hit.

With so many options, viewers have become less loyal, more fickle. The days of a Game Of Thrones or Breaking Bad single-handedly dominating the cultural conversation appear behind us. New shows show have a few weeks to click before being replaced by the next big thing.

This relentless churn leads to increased production costs without the guarantee of long-term subscriber growth. As of early 2024, Netflix's subscriber growth has plateaued in its most saturated markets, including North America and Europe. The company added a modest 2.5 million subscribers globally in the first quarter of 2024, a stark contrast to the explosive growth seen in previous years.