How Streaming Services Are Responding to Bundling, Content Discovery, and Industry Consolidation

Content licensing could help streaming services increase revenue

Streaming services may increasingly license content to other platforms. This could generate additional revenue while addressing the growing fragmentation of the streaming market. However, smaller niche services must carefully balance licensing with protecting the titles that make their platforms appealing to current and potential subscribers.

Cross-service bundles could help reduce cancellations

Streaming companies may also reduce cancellations by offering discounts when customers link a streaming subscription to another service, such as home internet or mobile service. Providers could increase the value of these bundles by targeting younger audiences with packages that include music, games, and food delivery services.

Deloitte said that current media bundles may be missing the point as younger subscribers look for broader, cross-category ecosystems. “Bundling has gone mainstream, but it still needs to keep pace with increasingly personal consumer expectations,” the company said in its August blog post.

Better content discovery could improve streaming retention

Streaming services could also improve how subscribers discover content, potentially encouraging them to keep their subscriptions. Gracenote’s 2025 State of Play survey questioned 3,000 consumers in the United States, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

According to Gracenote, 49 percent of respondents said they would cancel a streaming service if it were difficult to find something they wanted to watch.

Some services are already using generative AI chatbots and other technologies to help users discover new content. However, creating reliable discovery tools that people enjoy and use remains a challenge for more than streaming companies. Smart TV operating system providers, marketers, and AI companies also have a role to play.

Streaming consolidation could give customers fewer alternatives

As streaming consolidation accelerates, customers face the risk of higher prices and less ownership diversity for popular shows, movies, games, books, and franchises.

Today, boycotting Disney completely can also mean avoiding numerous streaming services, networks, franchises, and theme parks. As more streaming services join forces, it may become harder for customers to protest or avoid companies that make unpopular decisions, such as raising prices or canceling shows because of opinions expressed by hosts.