A Study on Subscription and Retention Patterns in OTT Platforms

The growing popularity of over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platforms is reshaping entertainment consumption by offering personalized and accessible options. This study explores why users engage with OTT platforms and how these motivations influence their decisions to subscribe and continue usage. Using interviews and surveys with 576 individuals across diverse age groups and genders in India, we identified eight key motivations: seamless accessibility, immersive viewing experiences, engaging content appeal, stress-free leisure, community connection, emotional bonding, explorative interest, and knowledge enhancement. The findings show that seamless accessibility, immersive viewing experiences, and stress-free leisure significantly influence subscription intentions, while seamless accessibility, immersive viewing experiences, and engaging content appeal drive continued usage. These results underline the importance of intuitive design, binge-worthy content, and relaxation-focused features in retaining users. This study offers valuable insights for OTT platforms to better align their services with user preferences, helping to attract and retain a loyal audience in a competitive market.