In Q3, CuriosityStream appears not to have added many subscribers. In its latest earnings report, the company claimed 20 million subscribers, which is identical to the number it reported in August. The company had ~700K direct-to-consumer subscribers prior to going public last year. The company says it has 50% more direct subscribers today, which means the number of OTT customers may be around 1 million.
“As we accelerate the pace of new content additions to our platform this quarter to the highest level in our company’s history, we are laying the groundwork for attractive long-term growth as we fulfill our mission to satisfy humanity’s enduring curiosity about our world with premium factual content that informs, enchants and inspires,” said Clint Stinchcomb, President & CEO.
For its first quarter in 2021, CuriosityStream had 16 million subscribers. In its Q2 2021 earnings, CuriosityStream reported an additional 4 million paying subscribers, making the overall total 20 million. The company celebrated this, as it marks a 40% year-over-year increase in the number of viewers.
Curiosity gains most of its subscribers from bundled distribution deals. In October, Redbox announced a deal with the company. Redbox will stream some of CuriosityStream’s library on both its AVOD and FAST service. Additionaly, Redbox will promote CuriosityStream at its kiosks. When Redbox releases SVOD channels to its streaming app sometime next year, CuriosityStream’s premium subscription will be offered.
Curiousity Inc. also partnered with fuboTV for its linear Curiosity Channel. The channel will provide 4K titles as well as its notable genres like nature, science, history, adventure, travel, space, and more.
When compared to other smaller services like Sundance Now, Shudder, PBS Masterpiece, EPIX, Acorn TV, BritBox, BET+, AMC+, and Cinemax, Curiosity Stream saw a 55% subscriber growth year-over-year. This was significantly higher than Disney+ (27%), Hulu (6%), and Netflix (1%).
Known for its niche library, the documentary-focused subscription streaming service has 3,000+ award-winning exclusives, originals, and licensed titles such as “Heval Documentary,” “The History of Food,” “Ancient Earth,” and “First Man.” The educational value of CuriousityStream’s content reaches a wide and diverse audience of many ages and interests.