Study: Streaming Services Cancel Shows Less Than Half as Frequently as Broadcast TV; Max Has Most Cancelations in 2023
Study: Streaming Services Cancel Shows Less Than Half as Frequently as Broadcast TV; Max Has Most Cancelations in 2023
Don’t you hate it when a streaming service drops your favorite show? Netflix is routinely seen as the worst offender in this regard, partially because the impressive volume of original titles available on the series leads necessarily to a higher amount of cancelations.
According to a new survey from Variety and Luminate, however, Netflix is far from the worst offender when it comes to cancelations in 2023. That crown goes to Max, which has a cancelation rate of 26.9% for the year to date. In fact, Netflix comes in fifth behind Max, Disney+, Paramount+ and Hulu for canceled shows in 2023, as just 10.2% of its titles have been axed this year.
Indeed, streaming services as a whole come in at a cancelation rate of 12.2% for the year. That’s less than half the rate of broadcast TV, which has seen 26.6% of its series canceled in 2023 thus far. The cancelation rate of cable shows is smaller than both, coming in at just 7.2%.
It’s easy to see why Max, Paramount+ and the Disney streamers all have a cancelation rate of 15% or higher in 2023. Max’s deluge of content cuts first began last year, bringing down “Westworld” and other high-profile titles. Disney got the ball rolling on cuts to the libraries of Disney+ and Hulu in May, and Paramount+ followed its competitors in late June.
Each of these companies is using the cuts as one facet in a wider strategy to make their streaming platforms profitable. Content cuts help streaming providers cut down on back-end maintenance costs, and they also mean the companies don’t have to pay residuals to the creators and talent responsible for bringing a show to life.
So which service is the best at avoiding cancelations? That would be Apple TV+, whose emphasis on prestige TV means there’s really no library content on the service in the first place. Apple TV+’s cancelation rate sits at just 4.9%, reflecting its quality-over-quantity approach.
The best news for TV fans according to the study is that cancelations have dropped each year between 2020 and 2023. It may seem like your favorite titles get axed from streaming services and TV channels at a higher rate than ever, but that’s simply because there’s more content overall than ever before; one recent survey found that there are now over 2 million titles available to stream globally.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.