Retention Zone

?? This time we are going deep into the mechanic of streaming monetization. Episode 61 of Retention Zone with Kübra Güven about the complex world of multi-channel billing in OTT streaming services. ?? As someone who's spent years analyzing OTT platforms, this conversation highlighted how billing systems have become as challenging as app development across fragmented platforms. 3 Key Takeaways: 1?? Platform Fragmentation is Accelerating: Beyond the established players like Samsung, LG, and Roku, 38% of TV market share in the world is now coming from new TV OS companies in 2024 - each with unique billing systems that content providers must manage. 2?? The Hidden Complexity of Subscription Management: Managing subscriptions across multiple platforms isn't just a technical challenge - it involves navigating different regulations, payment methods, and analytics systems that vary by country and platform. 3?? Aggregation is the Future: Just as content is being aggregated, billing systems need unified solutions. Cleeng's "multi-channel billing solution" simplifies up to 70% of integration work for content providers and creates a single source of truth for subscription data. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Full video and audio episode inside the article. Gilles Domartini Benedicte Guichard Alexis Ga? Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Kamila Palka Simo #OTTStreaming #Subscriptions #MediaTech #RetentionZone #DigitalMedia

?? ? The Oscars Night Hulu Troubles and Abrupt Stream Ending This I did not expect or was even tracking this live streaming as a potential problematic one, I was either distracted or wrong. Yet another live streaming (non-sport) issue to report. The 97th Academy Awards made streaming history on Hulu, but not as planned. Over 34,000 users reported access problems within minutes of the broadcast starting. Many couldn't log in, faced blank screens, or saw location error messages. What's particularly concerning? Some streams terminated prematurely before the ceremony concluded - possibly due to pre-scheduled cutoffs that didn't account for the event's unpredictable timing. Without insider knowledge of Hulu's operations, we can only speculate, but it highlights the unique challenges of live streaming at scale. Despite technological advances, live events continue to challenge streaming platforms in ways on-demand content doesn't. For Disney's 53.6M Hulu subscribers, this first-time Oscars streaming experience fell short, but offers valuable lessons for future broadcasts. The streaming industry must continue evolving its infrastructure to handle these massive viewership spikes if it hopes to fully replace traditional broadcast for cultural moments that unite global audiences. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf #Streaming #LiveEvents #Oscars #TechChallenges #DigitalMedia

???Retention Unplugged: Expert Insights on Streaming, AI, and Subscriber Growth??? The digital subscription landscape is evolving faster than ever, and staying ahead means learning from the best. Check out these insights from 4 industry leaders featured on our?Retention Zone podcast. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll discover: ????Chris Redmond ????, OTTRED Hint: What if you could predict churn before it even happens? ????Gilles Domartini, Cleeng Hint: Who’s really competing with Netflix and other streaming giants? (Spoiler: It’s not Disney.) ????Jeffrey Gilbert, Streaming Consultant Hint: Is churn always a bad thing? The answer might surprise you. ????Bhavesh Upadhyaya, Streaming Expert Hint: Quality used to be king—but what’s the new focus in the streaming world? These are just a few of the gems you’ll find in the carousel. Whether you’re in streaming, SaaS, or any subscription-based business, these insights are a must-read to stay competitive and drive growth. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf ???Swipe through the carousel to hear directly from the experts. ?? Links to full episodes in the comments! #Retention #Streaming #AI #SubscriberGrowth #DigitalTransformation #Netflix #ChatGPT #ContentStrategy #RetentionZone #LinkedInCarousel

?? Retention Zone No. 60 with Bhavesh Upadhyaya ??? ?? The first time you are hearing the term "Churn and Retention" for AI tools ?? 2008 NBC Olympics live streaming was a pivotal moment and the start of my streaming career. I still have meaningful bounds with many people involved, and Bhavesh was the video architect on the NBC side, he then went on a multi-dimensional career touching many aspects of streaming (vendor and client side) and winning an Emmy while doing so. A deep techie to these days, experimenting with AI LLMs local deployments in his studio. Key highlights from our discussion: ?? From "science experiment" to expectation: How streaming quality evolved from a differentiator to table stakes. "If you've got bad quality, you're out the door anyway." ?? The subscription economy challenge: Understanding the three types of subscribers - loyalists, strategic viewers, and content-specific bingers. ?? Platform architecture: "Product platform should have all the basic services... then everything can be instantiated, and that's where the differentiation can happen." ?? AI's DUAL IMPACT: How AI is revolutionizing audience data analysis: "One day we're going to have something that's going to look at all this data... guess what, one day is now!" EXCLUSIVE: We're breaking new ground discussing "Churn and Retention" for AI tool subscriptions! ?? A fresh perspective on AI tool pricing: "This is not like entertainment... This is 'I need it right now, then I'm done.'" Could day-to-day subscriptions be the future? Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Full video and audio episode inside the article. Benedicte Guichard Alexis Ga? Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Kamila Palka Simo Gilles Domartini Alex Zambelli Mark Holland Dave Gabel Christiano Coraglia Perkins Miller Dan Hogan Jason Suess Chiavazza Alberto David Faulknor Shujaat Ali Tom Sheffield Peter Rosenberg Darryl Jefferson Reaves Carrington #RetentionZone #Streaming #OTT #SubscriptionEconomy #AI #MediaTech #ContentDelivery

?? Streaming vs. social media: competing—or just different? In the latest Retention Zone episode hosted by Carlo De Marchis, streaming consultant Jeffrey Gilbert poses a fascinating question: “What is TV right now?” Jeffrey describes the contrast in how he feels about watching different types of content: ?? “When I watch YouTube, I feel like I’ve wasted time. When I watch Netflix, I feel like I’ve spent time.” This highlights a growing challenge for streaming platforms: consumer attention is more fragmented than ever. Are platforms like YouTube and TikTok just distractions, or are they real competition for subscription-based streaming services? Our CEO, Gilles Domartini, recently pointed out that Netflix isn’t just competing with other streamers—it’s competing with Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The fight isn’t just about content, but about time, engagement, and perceived value. Social platforms thrive on short-form, passive consumption, while streaming is built on deeper, more intentional engagement. But as attention spans shrink and content discovery becomes harder, streaming services need smarter ways to keep subscribers engaged—and that’s where Cleeng comes in. From churn prevention to personalized subscriber journeys, Cleeng helps D2C subscription providers optimize retention in a competitive, evolving landscape. Watch the full episode and share your thoughts! ?? (link in comments) If you're interested in how Cleeng can help, check out our demo hub—link in comments. #RetentionZone #Netflix #DigitalSubscriptions

?? Super Bowl LIX shatters all-time viewership records! Here are the known numbers that made history: ?? 127.7M total viewers across all platforms ?? Peak viewership: 137.7M during Q2 ?? Halftime show: 133.5M viewers (all-time record) The streaming revolution is here: - Tubi broke records with 13.6M average viewers - Peak of 15.5M concurrent streaming viewers - 24M unique viewers across game day programming - First-ever 4K live stream delivery Most fascinating stat: 77% of Tubi viewers report not having cable, showing how streaming is transforming sports viewership. Despite being a one-sided game (Eagles 40-22), these numbers prove the Super Bowl remains America's premier media event, now reaching audiences in entirely new ways. Notable firsts: - First sitting president to attend (Donald Trump) - First shoppable Super Bowl red carpet experience - First nationwide out-of-home viewing measurement The future of sports broadcasting is changing before our eyes. Traditional TV + Streaming + Social = The new media trifecta. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Full video and audio episode inside the article. National Football League (NFL) #SuperBowlLIX #Broadcasting #Streaming #DigitalTransformation #SportsBusiness #MediaTrends

??? Netflix is considering bidding for U.S. Formula 1 broadcast rights starting from the 2026 season. This would mark their first major venture into season-long mainstream sports rights. I just wrote an long article with most of the details I have found and history that I could remember. The current situation: ?? ESPN holds the current rights under a $90 million deal ?? ESPN's exclusivity period for renewal has just expired ?? The opportunity is now open for other bidders Why this makes sense for Netflix: ?? They've already had massive success with "Drive to Survive" - the series has reached over 800 million viewers across six seasons, with one-third of those in the U.S. ?? F1's U.S. market has shown tremendous growth: ?? TV audiences have doubled since 2018 ?? There are now 45 million F1 fans in the U.S. (I want to check how they define fan...) ?? 50% of these fans started following F1 in the last five years ?? The U.S. now hosts three of the 24 F1 races Netflix's recent moves suggest they're serious: ???? They've hired Kate Jackson, ESPN's VP of production who oversees F1 coverage ?? They've had success with live sports recently: ?? Two Christmas NFL games ?? The Tyson-Paul boxing match (their most-streamed sporting event ever) ??♀? Recent WWE Raw deal worth $5 billion over 10 years ?? Compared to other sports rights deals (like Amazon paying $1 billion annually for Thursday NFL games), F1 rights would be relatively affordable for Netflix while potentially offering significant subscriber growth opportunities. Retention Zone Realtime Fan Engagement A guy with a scarf FACTORY63 Formula 1 Netflix ESPN #f1 #netflix #rights

???Ep. 58: Gilles Domartini - Navigating the Future of Streaming, AI, and Retention in 2025??? Episode 58 of?Retention Zone:?I had the pleasure of sitting down with?Gilles Domartini, CEO and co-founder of?Cleeng, to dive deep into the future of streaming, AI, and customer retention in 2025. In this episode, we explored: ???The state of the streaming market?– Netflix’s dominance, Apple’s surprising drop, and the rise of ad-supported models. ???How AI is revolutionizing workflows?– from coding to customer support and micro-targeted marketing. ???The challenge of churn?– why 2/3 of new subscribers leave within 12 months and how to combat it. ???The role of live sports?– a powerful acquisition tool, but can platforms retain those subscribers? ???The convergence of social media and streaming?– TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram as both competitors and partners. ?? Gilles also shared?Cleeng’s strategy for 2025, including how they’re leveraging AI to innovate and expand subscriptions beyond traditional OTT services. This conversation was packed with insights, backed by data from?Antenna,?Nielsen, and?Omdia, making it a must-watch for anyone in the streaming, subscription, or tech space. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Full video and audio episode inside the article. Benedicte Guichard Alexis Ga? Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Kamila Palka Simo #Streaming #AI #CustomerRetention #OTT #LiveSports #Churn #SubscriptionEconomy #RetentionZone #Cleeng #Innovation

?????? The Netflix Q4 2024 numbers tell a fascinating story about the evolution of big media tech and sports. The financials tell the story: 16% YoY revenue growth to $10.2B, operating income up 52% to $2.3B, with margins expanding from 17% to 22.2% - showing they can grow while improving profitability. You may have seen some (or many) posts already during the last few hours on LinkedIn but I have decided with Retention Zone to take a detailed look to Netflix's earnings with a particular focus on their sports strategy and what it means for the industry. SPORTS EVOLUTION ?? Having followed sports media for years, it's remarkable how we've shifted from "streaming can't handle live sports" to Netflix breaking records with NFL Christmas games. Their selective "can't-miss events" strategy (NFL games, Jake Paul vs. Tyson fight, WWE, FIFA Women's World Cup rights) shows how tech platforms can complement traditional broadcasting without trying to replace it entirely. SUBSCRIBER SURGE ?? The numbers are striking: 19M new subscribers in Q4 (their biggest quarter ever), reaching 302M total memberships. This crushes the "streaming growth is dead" narrative we heard during the pandemic plateau. Most importantly, it shows there's still significant headroom in the streaming market. AD TIER MOMENTUM ?? 55% of new sign-ups are choosing the ad-supported tier, with 30% quarter-over-quarter growth. Netflix is quickly building what could become one of the largest ad platforms in digital media, while maintaining premium options for ad-free viewers. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Full video of the earnings call and link to earnings docs inside the article. Gilles Domartini Benedicte Guichard Alexis Ga? Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Kamila Palka Simo #SportsBusiness #Streaming #DigitalMedia #Netflix #SportsTech

?? As someone who began implementing load balancers and caches for sports websites with live results in the late 90s, today's news about Edgecast and Limelight Networks (Edgio) going dark hits close to home. I still remember the excitement when proper CDNs first came to market - they were game-changers for those of us building high-traffic web experiences. To those affected by today's shutdown: your contributions weren't wasted. Over 23 years, these companies - from Limelight Networks to Edgecast, VDMS, and finally Edgio - delivered tens of billions of streams and supported some of the most significant streaming events of their time. More importantly, they provided a testing ground for new delivery technologies and solving complex scaling challenges. I have also seen many considerations for those (entities) who had to transition to a new CDN (Akamai), very sophisticated matters I can guarantee you. Read it better on Dan Rayburn post (link in comments).