'Game of Thrones' is gone, and so are some HBO subscribers https://t.co/s3xJG8pvcN
— Rod (@rodimusprime) May 21, 2019
It seems that for many “Game of Thrones” fans, their loyalty to the show is where their loyalty to its creator ends. A quick search on social media reveals that many are canceling their HBO subscription, or are threatening to, now that the show is over. This practice is called “churn” in the industry, which is when a user bails on a service due to price hikes or the end of a global smash hit. Since streaming service subscriptions do not come with long-term contracts or additional fees for leaving or joining, it creates a unique challenge for those companies to retain users.
Market research firm Parks Associates says the average subscription among leading streaming players lasts 31 months, which has increased recently, but pales in comparison to the the time periods Americans spend in traditional cable contracts. Market research group Mintel found HBO Now users were twice as likely as those from any other top-tier streaming service to nix their subscription when certain series end.
