Beyond the Play Button: Understanding the Drivers of Long-Term Retention Among German Subscription Video on Demand Streaming Users

Abstract

This thesis investigated the factors, which significantly influence the long-term customer retention in the subscription video on demand streaming services (SVoD) in the German market. The aim was to understand, which of those factors have the biggest impact on the German streaming landscape and how streaming services can reduce churn rates and keep long-term subscribers. An online survey was conducted among German SVoD users, collecting data on demographics, usage behavior, content perceptions, pricing evaluation, platform usability, personalization features, and user gratifications. The questionnaire included closed-ended Likert-scale items, as well as qualitative open-ended questions. The data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and graphical data visualization. The results indicated that the user experience and content diversity as well as overall satisfaction are the strongest drivers of long-term retention. While pricing also remains important, enhancing content offerings and user experience has a greater impact on reducing churn. These findings provide valuable insights for SVoD providers in Germany, underlining the importance of improving content quality and diversity, as well as the user experience and personalization, to keep users in the long run.