Social isolation has led to a sharp spike in video streaming around the world.
According to data from software company Zuora, OTT video streaming subscriptions grew 7x in the month of March compared to the previous 12 months.
At the same time, the annual subscription growth rate for sports services fell significantly as professional leagues around the world pressed pause.
“These are telling figures,” said Zuora VP and GM of APAC region Iman Ghodosi.
“As everyone around the world spends more time than ever before indoors and seeks different ways of collaborating with colleagues or spending their leisure time, many subscription services have proved essential.
“The numbers for video streaming are quite remarkable, but so are the growth rates for communications software provided as a service.”
The research looked not just at video subscriptions, but other consumer and business memberships.
Digital News & Media subscriptions grew 3x, as did E-Learning. Communication SaaS offerings, such as video conferencing or online collaboration tools, have seen a spike in subscription growth rate by 1.4x, according to Zuora.
Consumer memberships on the other hand, such as gyms, travel and clubs, fell to two-thirds of its growth rate compared with the previous 12 months.
Hospitality subscriptions also fell significantly.
Zuora’s data shows 53.3 per cent of companies have not seen a significant impact to subscriber acquisition rates and 22.5 per cent of companies are seeing their subscription growth rate accelerate.
According to Ghodosi, the flexibility of subscription models can prove attractive for consumers during these times.
“Even in the face of our uncertain economy, subscriptions are inherently more flexible, as they don’t have to rely on individual product sales to grow,” Ghodosi said.
“It’s interesting to note that overall, however, more than three quarters of subscriptions companies have seen acquisition rates either remain steady or grow. I think that’s a testament to the power of the relationship these companies have with their customers and the way they can quickly adapt to what may be radically changed needs during this period.”
