Tag: wholesale subscribers

Skip breaks down why streaming companies don't truly own subscribers when platforms control billing, discovery, customer data, packaging, and reengagement.

Warner Bros. Discovery reported $289 million in streaming profits for Q3 2024, thanks to Max’s record 7.2 million subscriber gain, bringing its DTC count to 110.5 million. However, industry watchers note that not all of these subscribers are direct-to-consumer, raising…

Skip argues that the future of streaming isn’t dominated by direct-to-consumer (DTC) models, as projected by Omdia. He points out that reported DTC numbers are often misleading, with most subscriptions falling under wholesale or third-party billing. As bundling gains traction,…

Kirby argues that the streaming industry should categorize subscribers into three groups: wholesale, third-party direct, and true direct-to-consumer (DTC). This approach would offer more transparency and reveal the actual customer relationships media companies hold. However, Kirby contends that the industry…