What Exclusive Movies Really Do for Streamers

Do splashy movie releases actually bring in—and keep—streaming subscribers?

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Hub Intel Deep Dive: What Exclusive Movies Really Do for Streamers

All the major streaming services tout exclusive access to big-budget movies – from recent theatrical hits to high-profile originals produced in-house. And those films don’t come cheap. Just look at Netflix’s multiyear deal for first streaming rights to Sony films, reportedly worth a billion dollars to the studio.

But according to Hub’s TV Churn Tracker, the share of viewers who say they subscribed to a service in the past month because of exclusive movies isn’t all that big – averaging just around 15%.

So in a moment where cost control is top of mind across media and entertainment, it’s a fair question to ask: does licensing exclusive post-theatrical windows or producing big-budget original films actually move the needle?

Are the people who sign up for exclusive movies more likely to add other services too? Are they more loyal, or more likely to churn?

To find out, we looked at two groups of recent video service adders from the last six months of the TV Churn Tracker:

• Those who cited “exclusive movies” as a reason for adding

• Those who cited other reasons, but not exclusive movies

Here are four things to know about the viewers who sign up for a streaming service specifically for exclusive films:

1. They are diverse, educated, and have kids.

Overall, viewers who add TV services tend to be younger, more diverse, and upscale. And those who subscribe for exclusive movies lean even further in that direction. Compared to those who add for other reasons, movie fans are more likely to be non-white, have kids at home, and live in urban areas.

They’re also a highly educated group: more than a quarter hold a graduate or professional degree, well above the rate among other service adders.

Table 1 displays demographic differences between viewers who gave “Exclusive Movies” as a reason for subscribing to a service compared to those who gave other reasons*

2. They love TV, have lots of subscriptions - but not lots of time.

We also looked at Hub’s Best Bundle study for additional insights. One result really stood out: 73% of fans of exclusive movies said TV was “essential” or “very” important in their lives. That passion shows up in their commitment to video services. Three-quarters have six or more TV subscriptions – a full 20% higher than other service adders.

And it’s not just TV. They’re enthusiastic about media and tech more broadly. Nearly half identify as early tech adopters. But despite their enthusiasm and the number of services they pay for, exclusive movie fans don’t actually watch more TV than other viewers – they average about 20 hours per week. Given the makeup of their households, it’s likely that family and work responsibilities leave limited time for viewing.

Table 2 displays differences between those viewers who gave “Exclusive Movies” as a reason for subscribing to a service compared to those who gave other reasons on media usage

Table 3 displays differences between those viewers who gave “Exclusive Movies” as a reason for subscribing to a service compared to those who gave other reasons on SVOD subscriptions