Exclusive Isn’t Enough: Why Streamers Are Losing the Loyalty Game
Max’s identity crisis highlights a growing industry problem: without a clear brand promise, even the best shows can’t stop subscriber churn.
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Exclusive Isn’t Enough: Why Streamers Are Losing the Loyalty Game
The streaming wars aren’t cooling down—they’re getting more cutthroat. Netflix still wears the crown, but every other paid service is battling for a spot in viewers’ daily routines. Former cable subscribers, once overwhelmed by “1,000 channels and nothing to watch,” are now stitching together their own bundles of paid and free platforms. It’s a patchwork of prestige dramas, comfort rewatches, and whatever’s trending this week.
But in the rush to offer something for everyone, many streamers are starting to blur together. Signature shows? Sure. Broad appeal? Absolutely. But when viewers are asked what actually makes one service different from another, most can’t say.
That’s a branding problem. And it’s becoming a retention problem.
Here are four key takeaways from Hub’s latest research on why a distinct brand promise is still just as critical as a buzzy slate of originals:
1. Specific shows still drive sign-ups—but won’t stop the churn.
Hub’s Video Branding study found that more than a third of consumers (37%) signed up for a new streaming service in the past year to watch a specific show. But that number is declining, as original content production slows and shows struggle to break through the noise.
That leads to a familiar cycle: sign up, watch the show, cancel. We call it “revolving door churn.” Nearly the same share of viewers who say they plan to sign up for a service (27%) also say they plan to cancel one (30%)—creating a doom loop of subscriber turnover and weak loyalty.
2. “Exclusive originals” aren’t the differentiator they used to be.
Hub has long tracked the attributes consumers associate with different streamers—like who does “exclusive originals” best. Netflix still dominates here, with 53% of consumers calling it the leader in exclusives. But Disney+, Max, Hulu, and Prime Video all score similarly, around 40%, which ironically makes them less differentiated from one another.
Even more telling: Max’s association with exclusivity has actually declined—down from 54% to 42%—since the 2023 rebrand from HBO Max. The name change reflects a broader ambition, but also a branding challenge: how do you deliver on “exclusivity” when your offering is designed for everyone?
3. Without a clear brand promise, viewers don’t know where to find your hits.
Stranger Things and Netflix go hand in hand: 58% of consumers correctly identify it as a Netflix show. But Max? The brand identity is murkier.
Since dropping the HBO name, Max has positioned itself as a “four-quadrant” service—mixing prestige titles with content from Discovery, TNT, TLC, CNN, DC, and more. But that has made it harder for viewers to know what lives where.
Only about a third (36%) of viewers correctly associate Game of Thrones with Max.The White Lotus fares worse: fewer than one in five (19%) knew it was on Max. More people misidentified the platform (28%) or didn’t know at all (53%). That’s a branding problem, especially when you're housing some of the most acclaimed shows in recent memory.
4. Brand identity > hit shows.
Years ago, taglines like NBC’s “Must See TV” and HBO’s “It’s not TV. It’s HBO” defined a brand identity that transcended any one show. These taglines were part of brand campaigns that studios heavily invested in, always connecting that brand promise to the promotion of specific shows.
Tubi's cheeky "Free for Everyone" campaign is a great example of how a modern streamer can do the same. The goal was to boost awareness that Tubi is, in fact, free—something most consumers didn’t know. The campaign helped elevate a core, distinctive brand value and has driven major gains for the service, which now ranks higher in usage than Max, Peacock, and Paramount+. Our research also shows that Tubi stands out as the top streamer on the “best value” attribute.
The Takeaway
Identifying core, distinctive brand values and investing in brand campaigns like Tubi's that highlight those values brings clarity that streaming services need now, more than ever, as bundling and consolidation threaten to dilute what makes services special.
A strong brand promise tells viewers what they can expect—not just what’s trending. It deepens loyalty, reduces churn, and builds long-term value that exclusive hits alone can’t deliver.
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New Research from Hub: Sports Find a Home on Streaming
“Sports is following the same migration paths to streaming as scripted TV – just a lot faster. It took several years before viewers considered Netflix the equal of ‘must-see TV’ on broadcast or cable. But as more big events moved to streaming over 2024, fans have been quickly convinced that streamers will deliver the experience they want. As more high-profile properties move online – like NBA games on Amazon or the Super Bowl on Tubi – young fans will grow up with streaming platforms as the ‘home’ of their favorite sports.” —
,Principal at Hub and one of the study’s authorsThe latest findings from What’s the Score?, Hub’s sports study tracking the evolution of sports fan and media, reveal that audiences are becoming comfortable watching sports on streaming platforms - just as they did with scripted TV, only much more quickly. Here are nine takes on the latest research.
The Streamable: Streaming overtaking TV as the top method to watch sports
Advanced Television: Study: Streamers increasingly becoming the home for sports
Newscast Studio: Cable, broadcast and streaming now neck-and-neck for live sports
TheDesk.net: Hub: Streaming surpasses cable as sports platform of choice
Media Play News: Hub: Sports Fans as Likely to Watch Live Games Via Streaming as Traditional TV
TV Technology: Survey: More Viewers Turn to Streaming for Sports
Senal News: Streaming becomes the new go-to destination for sports fans
World Screen: Hub: Sports Audiences Have Embraced Streaming
The Measure: SVODs Are Increasingly The Home Of Live Sports
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Hub Entertainment Research tracks how technology is changing the way people find, choose, and consume entertainment content: from TV and movies, to gaming, music, podcasts and social video. Working with the largest networks, pay TV operators, streaming providers, and studios, Hub’s studies have covered the most important trends in providers, devices, and technologies since 2013.
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