Yesterday we asked you “How much money do you spend on OTT per month” on Twitter. It was due to some comparison and we are happy to know the overwhelming response from your side.
After comparing several responses and using our own math, we concluded that you must be spending around 500-600₹ per month on OTT. A majority of the money goes to only Netflix because it is much more expensive than all other streaming platforms. A user commented that they spend around 2-3K per month for streaming services and it is indeed a lot for a lot of viewers.
But our comparison was much more interesting. Let’s compare it to that of the USA.
Streaming used to be the budget-friendly alternative to cable. But as prices rise, more people are questioning if it’s still worth it. According to Deloitte’s latest Digital Media Trends report, the average U.S. household now pays around $69 per month for streaming—just over half the cost of cable. That money is nearly ₹6000 in the Indian currency. Yes, Indians are spending far less in India when compared to the USA and most other countries.
Yet, nearly half of consumers feel they’re paying too much. Even worse, 41% say the content isn’t worth the price, a growing sentiment from last year. If their favorite service raised prices by just $5 a month, 60% of subscribers say they’d cancel.
With the cost of ad-free streaming now averaging $16 per month, many are opting for cheaper, ad-supported options. Over half of subscribers now have at least one ad-supported plan, up from 46% last year.
The biggest challenge for streaming platforms? Finding the right price. Consumers think $14 a month is fair for an ad-free service and about $10 for one with ads. Anything above $25 feels too expensive.
Meanwhile, cancellations remain high. Around 39% of consumers have dropped a streaming service in the past six months, with Gen Z and millennials leading the charge. And many are “churning and returning”—canceling a service only to resubscribe within months.
With customers getting pickier and wallets tightening, streaming giants will have to rethink their strategies. Otherwise, they might start looking a lot more like the cable companies they were supposed to replace.